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Truth emerges in 'disgusting' Last Post drama at State of Origin

Sir Peter Cosgrove and Corporal John Byrne, pictured here at State of Origin.
Sir Peter Cosgrove addressed the crowd before Corporal John Byrne played the Last Port. Image: Getty

Fans have taken to social media to explain what was going on in the crowd amid unsavoury scenes during a Remembrance Day ceremony at State of Origin on Wednesday night.

The crowd at ANZ Stadium in Sydney was widely condemned when cheers and boos rang out during a minute’s silence.

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Corporal John Byrne had just finished playing the Last Post when a number of fans started clapping and calling out, appearing not to realise a minute’s silence would follow.

However things got even worse when booing started to ring out around the stadium as NSW coach Brad Fittler appeared on the big screen.

However a number of fans have since taken to social media to explain that the boos were directed at a “bogan” Queensland fan who had intentionally tried to disrupt the ceremony.

The fan was reported escorted from the stadium by police.

“Just to give context. One QLD fan was screaming and trying to start a fight during The Last Post, that's when police came to remove him,” one fan wrote on Twitter.

“The crowd around him decided to boo him for what he did. But of course it was loud, no disrespect was meant by it. Just wrong timing.”

Another Twitter user wrote: “For everyone wondering what the uproar during the minute of silence at last night's Origin was about, there was a bogan Queenslander booing which saw him get escorted out by police.”

A woman who was sitting in the Blatchy’s Blues section said: “A man was being removed, that was the booing, it had nothing to do with The Last Post being played.”

Fans and players, pictured here during a minute of silence at State of Origin.
Fans made noise during a minute of silence at State of Origin. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Fans erupt over ‘disgusting’ scenes at ANZ Stadium

This is the first year the annual State of Origin series is being played in November after the coronavirus crisis caused it to be pushed back in the calendar.

Wednesday night was the first time an Origin match has been played on Remembrance Day, which may go some way to explaining why fans might not have realised a minute’s silence follows the Last Post.

Nevertheless, social media users were quick to condemn the “disgraceful” scenes at ANZ Stadium.

“Wow... that (lack of) moment of silence in the last post was... not good,” journalist Mark Gottleib wrote.

Fellow journalist Vince Rugari described it as “one of the most poorly observed minutes of silence i can remember.”

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