NRL to help educate players on the Voice to Parliament referendum: Canberra Raiders director Katrina Fanning

And Katrina Fanning even said she planned, along with ARL commissioner Megan Davis, to visit clubs and talk to anyone who wanted them to.

Fanning's not only on the Raiders board, but she's on the federal government's referendum engagement group making both her and Davis perfectly placed to help educate any NRL players who wanted to know more about the Voice.

She said they could also help organise advocates from the "No" vote if players wanted that as well.

While the Raiders haven't publicly come out in support of the Voice, it's believed the Green Machine consider the NRL had spoken on behalf of all clubs when it came out and backed the proposal.

Fanning's a proud Wiradjuri woman, who played for Australia and was on the ARL Indigenous Council.

She said both Fogarty and Wighton were "really responsible" for wanting to know more about the referendum.

The pair didn't want to discuss the topic in the lead up to the NRL's Indigenous Round until they'd looked into it.

Canberra will take on Manly at Canberra Stadium on Sunday, where Wighton, Fogarty and Sebastian Kris will lead the team out.

Former Raider and Sea Eagle Joel Thompson will blow the Viking horn and Indigenous artist Tahalianna Soward-Mahanga, who was on Prime7's The Voice, will perform.

Fanning emphasised she didn't want players to feel pressured to vote one way or the other.

"We've got a schedule through the NRL to talk with players at all clubs that have got an interest - Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or not - to give them a bit more information about the specifics of the referendum to start with and obviously why the NRL's backing the 'Yes' campaign," she told The Canberra Times.

"I'm sure if people in the 'No' campaign had an interest in running sessions, if players were interested in that we'd make those arrangements as well.

"We encourage people to find out more for themselves in making their decision.

"I think it's really responsible of the boys to make sure they have all the information they need because ... they'll want to make sure they believe in what they're talking about."

Fanning's going to Uluru this week for the anniversary of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Part of her role on the referendum engagement group was to promote why a "Yes" vote was important.

She pointed out the ACT has had it's own version of the Voice - called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body - for the past 15 years.

It's a body she was the chairperson of for four years.

"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been here 60,000 years and our constitution should proudly recognise that," Fanning said.

"As a country we've got something that no one else has and recognising that in the constitution costs no one a thing, but it sets a standard for us as a country that no other country in the world can match.

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"A couple of hundred years of not being part of the decision-making table has not got us very far.

"It's just providing advice - the government can take it or leave it on any topic they choose."

As with all these types of discussions, there's always a vocal group that says sport shouldn't get involved in politics.

But Fanning pointed out sport had made a stance on inclusion long ago.

"I know there's a bit of controversy around that, but decades ago when government policies excluded [Indigenous people] from things sport went against the grain and had us on the field with them," she said.

"They made a stance a long time ago that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be treated as equals in this country and deserve a spot on the field."

NRL ROUND 12

Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Manly Sea Eagles at Canberra Stadium, 4.05pm.

Raiders squad: 1. Sebastian Kris, 2. Albert Hopoate, 3. Jarrod Croker (C), 4. Matt Timoko, 5. Jordan Rapana, 6. Jack Wighton, 7. Jamal Fogarty, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Tom Starling, 10. Joe Tapine, 11. Hudson Young, 12. Elliott Whitehead (C), 13. Corey Horsburgh. Interchange: 14. Danny Levi, 15. Emre Guler, 16. Pasami Saulo, 17. Ata Mariota. Reserves: 18. James Schiller, 19. Hohepa Puru, 20. Brad Schneider, 21. Corey Harawira-Naera, 22. Nick Cotric.

Sea Eagles squad: 1. Tom Trbojevic, 2. Jason Saab, 3. Brad Parker, 4. Tolutau Koula, 5. Reuben Garrick, 6. Josh Schuster, 7. Daly Cherry-Evans (c), 8. Taniela Paseka, 9. Lachlan Croker, 10. Sean Keppie, 11. Haumole Olakau'atu, 12. Ben Trbojevic, 13. Jake Trbojevic. Interchange: 14. Karl Lawton, 15. Samuela Fainu, 16. Ethan Bullemor, 17. Ben Condon. Reserves: 18. Kaeo Weekes, 19. Morgan Harper, 20. Cooper Johns, 21. Morgan Boyle, 22. Gordon Chan Kum Tong.

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