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Opinion
Barely a few weeks go by when Latrell Mitchell isn’t the man on everyone’s lips across the rugby league community.
In fact, in the omnipresent world of social media, he might just be the most talked about player in the history of the game.
Mitchell’s name seems to correspond with widespread criticism, yet there’s also an equally diverse share of support for the controversial player and his even more controversial actions.
An unfortunate part is that a lot of this debate stirs up a lot of racial discord amongst the community. While a lot of people won’t want to have it mentioned – it is certainly something that we can’t hide from.
Through on-field form, foul play and off-field attitudes, Mitchell can often seem to be digging a deeper hole for himself by the week.
But at the same time, those who express angst regarding the racial undertones of his criticism also have a pretty valid argument about him being a target.
How so? Just about every conversation piece regarding Mitchell is being scrutinised to a level that we have never seen before.
In recent days, noted Rugby League journalists have delved deep enough into player contracts to isolate the fact that Mitchell should not be allowed to rule himself ineligible from State of Origin to focus his attention on the Rabbitohs’ disastrous season.
Just last season, we saw Kalyn Ponga do the same thing, however, these personalities are quick to point out it was due to concussion fears.
If Ponga was fit enough at the time to run out for the Knights, he certainly was fit enough to lace up for the Queenslanders.
This begs the question, why wasn’t this particular contract clause being pulled out in 2023?
While Mitchell’s on-field conduct and attitude are largely self-deprecating it also brings out an extreme overreaction amongst sections of the public.
Tackles that have led to opposition injuries such as Mitchell’s hit on Joseph Manu in 2021 and a sideline tackle on Josh Addo-Carr in the early rounds of the 2024 season have shown that people are quick to call out a premeditated and deliberate action in these tackles.
These same people though will fail to see that in both situations, the opposition players were making an attacking run near the try line. These are split-second decisions, in one of the most fast-paced and brutal action sports played on this planet.
The chances that these two hits are deliberate and premeditated are about as low as the time Mitchell had to react to the play unfolding in front of him.
You would find a catalogue of tackles from each round of rugby league that would look the same yet garner hardly the same attention.
Latrell Mitchell is one of the NRL’s most dynamic players. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Where the racial connection to public overreactions come from stems back to the early stages of Mitchell’s career.
Mitchell was battered from pillar to post for standing up for his people as a proud Aboriginal man of the Biripi, Wiradjuri, Worimi and Gumbaynggirr peoples by refusing to sing the national anthem in the 2019 State of Origin series. He was also draped in an Aboriginal flag in a television article in the 2020 season.
Both of these are not new to the game, however, it seemed to exacerbate hatred of an Aboriginal player to a never-before-seen level in mainstream and modern media circles.
The vast majority of public opinion does not match the off-field efforts, considering this is a man who has dedicated significant hours and dollars from his own pocket to positive outcomes for Aboriginal people.
We have players in the game with heinous and often lengthy rap sheets of off-field indiscretions.
However, within seconds of clicking to the comments section, you’ll find a number of internet trolls who suggest that were Mitchell to retire, the game would be better off.
A position I find pretty hard to fathom as someone who wants to see the best players play the game.
With the sensitive stuff out of the way, it’s now time to look on the other side. Those who argue that scrutiny directed towards “TrellMit” is related purely to the way he plays might also be in the right.
At times, Mitchell plays in a style that is disinterested and lacking in energy and a genuine want to succeed at the game.
This has a major effect on the outcomes of Mitchell’s on-field output.
While he has a playstyle that blends silky ball-playing with a bruising running game, Mitchell’s nonchalance draws the ire of the media and public and rightly so.
For a player with three premierships and an impressive representative career at the age of 26, Mitchell is proving largely to be a let-down – not only to the South Sydney supporters but also to the coaching staff and his peers on the field.
Latrell Mitchell of the Indigenous All Stars. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Mitchell has the runs on the board to become one of the game’s great leaders – but is yet to deliver.
Mitchell arrived with great promises to the South Sydney faithful and has barely made a mark on delivering – only being involved in one finals campaign during his time at the club.
A number of Mitchell’s suspensions reveal a man who is still finding maturity on the field.
His suspension at the end of the 2023 season for landing an elbow on Tyson Frizell, cost Mitchell his chance to step up in round 27 and knock out his former club the Roosters. Instead, Mitchell was to watch from the sidelines as Souths were delivered a harsh reality check to end the 2023 season.
Similarly, his suspension for the controversial tackle on Manu also cost Mitchell a chance to play in the Rabbitohs 2021 finals run, with a constant “what if?” hanging over Souths fans’ heads over the last gap grand final loss.
In 2024, Mitchell made a number of choices that have continued to let down his club and draw more attention to his controversial career.
The expletive-laden Triple M interview, where he deliberately and intentionally dropped the F-Bomb several times knowing he was live on air can simply be described with one word: dumb.
The same word can be used to describe Mitchell’s suspension for a pair of very poor brain snaps against the Warriors a few weeks ago that landed him twice on report.
While I drew attention to those trolls who always call out Mitchell’s actions as deliberate, you could certainly make an argument that those two were.
Mitchell still has a large part of the 2024 season to rediscover his form, and Souths fans are hoping that his three-match suspension might serve as a reality check that can inspire Mitchell to resurrect the Rabbitohs season.
Overall, we might all think we have a somewhat correct opinion on how we feel about Mitchell, which sounds crazy considering opinions are just that: opinions.
However, it is important that we consider where those who might see it differently from us come from.
While writing an article certainly will most likely stir the pot again, the constant attention given towards Mitchell has clearly led to some mental health struggles which may be reflected in the way Mitchell has performed in 2024.
While highly unlikely to happen due to the fact that Mitchell is a “click machine” in the social media world, the less attention that is given towards the almost day-to-day behaviour of Mitchell in the media may actually lead to the young man being able to clear his head.
That would see him finally deliver on the astonishing potential he has displayed in the early stages of his career.
True fans of the game will surely be hoping that Mitchell can one day rediscover the fire that made him one of the most devastating players in the game.
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