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Opinion
Roosters fans, I can somewhat sympathise your booing of Latrell Mitchell.
Latrell was the raw talent your club recognised, nurtured and helped grow into one of the game’s elite.
Then he said no to the Chooks’ 2019 offer of an $800,000 a year contract and ended up leaving Bondi to sign with bitter rivals (don’t get me started) South Sydney for what was reportedly much the same money.
Then, to top it off, while wearing the cardinal and myrtle, Latrell goes and smashes his former teammate Joey Manu in the face on the eve of the 2021 finals, ending the gun centre’s year, as well as his own after the judiciary gave Mitchell an extended stint on the sidelines for the sickening, illegal shot.
So yeah, in the two matches played between the Bunnies and the Tricolours over the course of September this year, as fans wearing red, white and blue voiced their disapproval for Latrell every time he touched the ball, I could sort of understand.
He’s the ultimate villain for Easts and it’s through multiple slights – some real, some imagined, but all very public – that he has ended up in that role.
Plus, he sort of seemed to enjoy it?
Well, that was the perception anyway, until he came out after the final regular-season game and spoke about his disappointment at being booed.
“It’s a bit disappointing. Once or twice or when I’m kicking goals, then definitely (it’s OK),” Mitchell said.
“But every run was a bit disappointing…
“Adam Goodes gave up his career because of it.”
Adam Goodes (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
The comparison to Swans legend Goodes, who was essentially forced out of the game he loved due to the incessant booing of the AFL’s crowds, seemed a bit much considering Latrell had been getting jeered by the fans of one club who – as outlined above – can probably consider him fair game.
But then came Latrell’s first hit-up on Saturday night, against Cronulla. And what did the Sharks’ fans do?
They booed Latrell.
Again, it was his first hit up of the night. He had done absolutely nothing to warrant this kind of disdain – well, certainly no less than wear the opposing team’s jersey, a crime of which 16 other players wearing red and green were also guilty, yet failed to receive jeers.
It settled down after that, sure – the Shire supporters did not give Latrell the incessant stick that Roosters fans did.
But the stick still stuck out.
Latrell Mitchell is one of the most polarising figures in our game and part of that is because he can carry on a bit, such as giving Ronaldo Mulitalo’s head a little extra attention after the Sharks flyer had scored a lucky try against the run of play.
I don’t know what that was about and if the fans had held their booing of Latrell until that moment, I’m not writing this piece.
But the other reason Latrell is so polarising is because he’s a proud Aboriginal man who won’t stand for any crap and there are still an unfortunate number of racist arseholes in Australia.
Now, to be clear, I’m not calling everyone who booed Latrell a racist, nor – as I wrote previously about Goodes’ treatment – is booing an inherently racist act.
As we like to say: buy your ticket, take the ride.
You can even boo your own team if you want (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
However, when the only bloke getting booed by opposition fans is a proud, outspoken black man who is literally just doing his job for the first time that night, a noxious stink comes with the noise emanating from the booers in the crowd.
And, as was pointed out on Twitter, those who are not booing for racist reasons are providing cover for those who are.
So we come to this weekend and the grand final rematch between Souths and Penrith, which has to be billed as the game of the year to date.
My question to Panthers fans: how are you going to receive Latrell Mitchell?
This great champion of rugby league who by the tender age of 22 had already won two comps, played for his state and country, won multiple individual awards, and represented his people in the annual Indigenous All Stars game.
Who, in the years since, has marked himself as a leader among his peers – all of them – by his brave and unwavering stance against the trolls and (let’s call a spade a spade) dickheads who have a bizarre and toxic mash-up of entitlement and hate in their systems, and combine it with the gall and delusion to call themselves fans, thus considering themselves righteous in trying to tear down the men and women with the talent, bravery and dedication to strive for greatness in the world’s toughest competitions.
Latrell Mitchell will be remembered as a great of our game, this much is guaranteed. In the years to come, he may put himself in the legendary stratosphere and even earn the title of Immortal – he certainly has the the tools to get there.
We should all appreciate just who and what we are witnessing when he graces the field and treat him appropriately.
If, on the weekend, he were to rub a Penrith player’s face in the dirt for no apparent reason, a chorus of boos ringing out would justifiably be the price to pay.
But if Latrell Mitchell is treated to a chorus of boos for no apparent reason, that will be dragging our entire game through the mud.
And that’s not a price any sane fan should be willing to pay.
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