Clive Churchill Medallist Jack Wighton is "filthy" over the Canberra Raiders' lack of consultation in designing this year's Indigenous jersey.
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Wighton has been consulted about the jersey design in the past, but said that wasn't the case ahead of their NRL Indigenous round clash against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville on Saturday night.
The Raiders' star five-eighth praised the South Sydney jersey, which included the hand print of all eight Indigenous players in their top 30.
His teammate and front row-enforcer Josh Papalii liked Wighton's comments on social media.
"They've got the best stories and put a bit of effort in. I just feel like we ticked a box this year," Wighton told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"It's terrible. I'm filthy. It's the one round to share culture, you know what I mean, to get our artwork and stories out there, and I feel like we've put a pretty poor effort in, if I'm to be honest."
Canberra's jersey simply has a design on the sleeve stretching down the side of the jersey.
It represents the ACT holding the only Reconciliation Day public holiday in Australia and was designed by artist Lynnice Church.
Wighton liked the concept, but he felt there could've been more consultation with the playing group - and the design should've extended to the front of the jersey.
"I'm very, very proud but I'm a little bit disappointed how the club went about the jersey and that. I feel like we just ticked a box, no one got any input," he said.
"We've got a lot of First Nations people of all different types - Samoans and Maoris and that, you know - and no one really had any say about the jersey.
"I think you can tell. We had a whole canvas and they just put a little design on the sleeve. We didn't hear nothing about it until this week. No one came to us for any ideas.
"In previous years we've had a lot to do with it and the club has run things past us but I felt like they got lazy this year."
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