"We want to showcase that and we want to look at that as a legacy and also what else can we do to make a difference. There are so many good stories about where our players have come from and we really want to use a lot of that to inspire people." Trail blazer: Arthur Beetson shakes the hand of Gough Whitlam. Among those players using their backgrounds and achievements to inspire young Indigenous people to better themselves is St George Illawarra second-rower Joel Thompson. Thompson has overcome a childhood surrounded by drugs and violence to become a role model and works part-time with Mission Australia in Wollongong, encouraging Indigenous youth to study or obtain a traineeship. "The Indigenous Round is a round that represents our culture and our people, and it is a celebration, I guess," Thompson said. "Rugby league is a big part of the communities and when you go out there you see the smiles on the kids' faces and a lot of them are wearing the jumper of the Rabbitohs or the Dragons or other teams. Rugby league has got a massive voice in the community and the work that the NRL is doing and other sporting codes is great, and this is just another initiative that is awesome for our culture and people."

Thompson uses social media to help get those messages across but he said the recent debate over the treatment of Sydney Swans star Adam Goodes had been difficult to digest. Indigenous through and through: Dragons forward Joel Thompson with artist Kevin Butler, who designed St George Illawarra's jersey last year. Credit:Adam McLean "It has split society and I have tried to stay away from it a bit because there is a lot of hate out there and social media gives people a voice to spread that hate," he said. "There has been great support too and it has been great to see guys like Greg Inglis and Johnathan Thurston come out and offer their support to him. There is a lot of support in the community for Indigenous culture and I think that outweighs all the negative stuff." The selection of Inglis, Thurston, Sam Thaiday, Greg Bird, Will Chambers and Alex Johnston for the Anzac Test was the highest representation of Aboriginal players in an Australia team and Widders said Indigenous culture was now having a great influence on the game.

"We want to use this weekend to showcase our culture and what exists in rugby league, where there is acceptance and a willingness to learn more and use the good things of our culture to move forward," he said. "A lot of people now are talking about this new age way of dealing with young men and that is going back to the way our people lived for tens of thousands of years with things like rite of passage, initiation, respecting elders, gratitude, looking after other people and showing empathy. "These are all ways of life for tens of thousands of years and obviously it got lost in the last 200 years but they are looking at that now as a way our people can be happy in today's world." For all the latest rugby league news - visit LeagueHQ