Johnathan Thurston defends Latrell Mitchell’s right to hunt for the best contract
Johnathan Thurston has come out swinging in defence of Latrell Mitchell, arguing the want-away Rooster has been treated unfairly for doing something every other NRL player does.
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Rugby league legend Johnathan Thurston has leapt to the defence of Latrell Mitchell saying criticism of the clubless NRL star has been “extremely harsh”.
And Thurston has also backed calls by Indigenous All Stars for the Australian national anthem to not be played at next year’s pre-season clash with the New Zealand Maori, asking the NRL to listen to the concerns of players.
Mitchell’s long-running and tumultuous search for a new club has dominated the headlines over summer while the other burning issue in the game has been the national anthem.
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The retired Thurston played alongside 2013 US Masters champion Adam Scott and US PGA women’s winner and 2019 Greg Norman Medallist Hannah Green in the marquee group at Wednesday’s Australian PGA pro-am at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast.
And he came out swinging in defence of Mitchell.
“I don’t think it’s probably been managed that great but he has the right to go out there looking, which a lot of players do, I did it myself,’’ Thurston said.
“He wants to test the market and that’s what he’s done and he’s sort of been smashed from pillar to post for doing that which has been pretty unfair I would have thought.
“Every players does it … goes to meetings with other clubs. So the criticism has been extremely harsh.
“He’s allowed to shop himself around.”
Fairway or far away?
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) December 17, 2019
Those first tee nerves got to @nthqldcowboys legend Johnathan Thurston this morning at the #AusPGA pro-am when he teed it up alongside @AdamScott 😬😅🤔#PGATA pic.twitter.com/DqBNWYrwTF
Thurston was not at the meeting between Cowboys and Mitchell and has not spoken to the premiership-winning centre.
He hopes racism will never drive a wedge through the middle of the game.
“I haven’t spoken to anyone personally about it. It would be a real shame on the game if that is happening because of what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have contributed to the game of rugby league,’’ Thurston said.
“It would be a real shame on the game if that’s how the players are feeling and if that’s what players are feeling then we need to put things in place to make that stop.”
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Thurston said the NRL needs to take on board any concerns the Indigenous All-Stars have about Advance Australia Fair.
He said he sung the anthem during his stellar playing career with North Queensland, Queensland and Australia as a tribute to a family member.
“I’ve always sung the national anthem. My grandfather’s brother fought in Vietnam. I did that based on him. That’s my ties to the anthem.,’’ he said.
“If that’s how the playing group feel about it I think the NRL needs to listen,’’ Thurston said.
“100 per cent, I can understand. If the playing group doesn’t want the national anthem … they are going to protest and won’t sing it.’’
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