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Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton have broken their silence following their arrest in Canberra this weekend, releasing a joint statement apologising for their actions and the poor publicity that it caused for rugby league.
“We apologise for what happened in Canberra and take full responsibility for our actions,” they wrote.
“We’re not in a position to comment on exactly what happened because it is the subject of an upcoming court case. Both of us understand that it is not a good look for the game at that time of night.
“We regret that it’s happened and hopefully can move on once the legal process has been completed. It was originally a bit of fun that got out of hand.
“However we wanted to express remorse for putting ourselves in the position to embarrass our Clubs and the NRL over the weekend.
“We were there to celebrate Jack’s 30th with family and friends. While everyone enjoyed a great night, we understand that our wrestle, as harmless as we believed it to be, was a poor decision and may have looked bad.
“We are sorry for this, and know that we need to be better when in public.
“We remain great friends, and are looking forward to proudly representing our community at All Stars this weekend.”
The pair appeared in good spirits as they boarded a plane to New Zealand for the Indigenous All Stars match this Saturday night, despite being arrested for fighting with each othe.a.
The pair were snapped at Sydney Airport together, along with teammates, checking in for their flight to Auckland. Though they ignored the waiting media, they seemed on good terms.
Mitchell, however, is said to be facing a fitness test ahead of the game after suffering shoulder pain sustained during the arrest.
In footage obtained by Seven News, he can be heard shouting ‘my shoulders!’ on several occasions as four ACT cops pinned him to the floor in the street.
Medical advice has been sought and Souths’ club doctor has examined the injuries before allowing Mitchell to travel for the season-opening fixture. Several key players, including Josh Addo-Carr, Joey Manu, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Nelson Asofa-Solomona, have already withdrawn.
A fellow NRL player who was present at the arrest said that the Souths star wasn’t resisting arrest, despite being charged with ‘resisting a territory public official’ in Canberra.
Speaking to Wide World of Sports, the unnamed player said that the incident was blown out of proportion and that Mitchell was compliant with their requests.
“The incident between Latrell and Jack was nothing – they were just mates who had a bit to drink mucking around,” they said.
“But then cops came from everywhere – about four of them jumped on Latrell and forced him to the ground and twisted his arms behind his back.
“He wasn’t resisting and was screaming at them to stop hurting him. It was very distressing to watch…it was a massive over-reaction.”
Matt Rose, who manages both players, told the Daily Telegraph that they were simply play-fighting.
“They are always having a wrestle,” he said. “They both think they are stronger than each other and are mucking around all the time. It was a bit of fun that went wrong after a few drinks.”
Mitchell and Wighton spent the night in the cells after being arrested over an alleged fight at a Canberra nightclub. They are set to appear in court in the capital on February 22, a week before the season kicks off on March 2.
The matter is now under investigation by the NRL Integrity Unit and both will likely face court over the altercation.
Both Mitchell and Wighton are still listed to play for the Indigenous All Stars next week in Rotorua, and had been given leave from camp to attend a party to celebrate Wighton’s 30th birthday.
According to reports in the Daily Telegraph, the pair, who are very close friends, were at a function in Queanbeyan before moving on to a nightclub in Canberra, where the incident occurred.
Raiders CEO Don Furner attended the police station in the morning to pick up Wighton. Mitchell and Wighton had breakfast together after being released.
Both South Sydney and Canberra released statements acknowledging the incident and confirming that they had notified the NRL Integrity Unit, with the unit itself confirming an investigation had begun.
Social media posts from both showed them partying together in good spirits, with other players – notably Raiders captain Elliott Whitehead – visible in the background.
Mitchell was charged with resisting arrest after police were called following a ‘fight’ that, according to the Telegraph, witness said was little more than play wrestling. He was later charged for fighting and affray.
Wighton avoided the resisting arrest charge but also copped charges for fighting and failing to leave the nightclub.
“About 3.45am today (Sunday, 5 February 2023), ACT Policing responded to reports of a disturbance near a nightclub on Bunda Street in the city,” said a police statement.
“Two men – a 30-year-old from Bywong, NSW and a 25-year-old man from Chifley, NSW – were arrested at the scene.
“The 30-year-old has been charged with fight in a public place and fail to comply with an exclusion direction, while the 25-year-old has been charged with fight in a public place, affray, and resist territory public official. They are expected to face the ACT Magistrates Court at a later date.”
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