Origin 2021: Latrell Mitchell and Brad Fittler ended their feud over beers and pizza in a quiet bush pub

Latrell Mitchell is back on the Origin stage — and it all started with a few beers. This is the story of how he earned a shot at Blues redemption.

Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues State of Origin team photo at Coogee Surf Club this morning ahead of this year's competition. Pictured is Josh Addo-Carr and Latrell Mitchell. Picture: David Swift

Schooners were six bucks at the Old Bar Tavern on the night Brad Fittler and Latrell Mitchell started sharing them again.

Which makes for a solid start, right?

May also explain why around 10pm, and to what, from memory, was Whitesnake’s Here I Go Again On My Own, one of the locals started dancing around without a shirt.

Watch The 2021 NRL Telstra Premiership Live & On-Demand with No Ad-Breaks During Play. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now

Latrell Mitchell is delighted to be back playing with Josh Addo-Carr.

But we digress.

For to understand why South Sydney’s Mitchell is now back in the NSW Origin side — and “stoked” to have taken that Fittler call at Saturday night’s Sydney Kings game — you must first rewind to an evening where, in a nondescript bush pub, and after months of angst, he finally stood in a quiet corner and downed beers with the Blues coach.

Here, truly, was the moment on which everything changed.

Which isn’t to say Mitchell will admit as much.

No, speaking at Monday’s NSW Origin media session inside Coogee Surf Club, the Rabbitohs poster boy quickly squashed any talk of previous bad blood between he and Fittler, stressing: “I was never mad at him”.

Which isn’t quite true, of course.

Especially in December 2019.

Back when rugby league’s most recognised Indigenous player — and, undeniably, most powerful voice — sent shockwaves through the code by suggesting in an explosive NRL.com interview that racism may have played a role in his Origin demise.

Already, the Roosters premiership hero was under heavy media scrutiny after announcing he was quitting the reigning NRL champs to chase $1 million and a switch to fullback.

Yet after initially disappearing to his cattle property near Taree, Mitchell then went and re-emerged just long enough to suggest the Blues squad “went funny” on both himself and Cody Walker after the pair refused to sing the national anthem during that year’s Origin opener.

Brad Fittler keeps an eye on Latrell Mitchell at Monday’s first training session.

He added that despite the pair being dumped after game one, Fittler still hadn’t phoned to explain his axing from what, now two years on, remains the last Origin game he played.

Which brings us, weeks later in December that year, to the Old Bar Tavern.

One of those quiet, out-of-the-way joints which looks exactly like you’d expect the hometown local of Boyd Cordner and his old man Chris.

Two fellas who on, on this particular night, were also part of the crowd.

Same deal Angus Crichton, Mitch Aubusson, James Roberts, Mark O’Meley, Joey Johns, Roosters coach Trent Robinson and a handful of others from a Fittler touring party which, that particular week, were moving through the region as part of a bushfire relief effort.

But exactly who reached out to Mitchell, whose property sat within a short drive?

It’s hard to say.

Although it has been suggested Jimmy the Jet made initial contact with his great mate.

Or maybe it was Cordner, back then still Roosters and NSW captain.

Latrell is back and the Blues are full of smiles.

Regardless, given News Corp was travelling as part of said tour, we can confirm Mitchell rocked up sometime between those pizzas hitting the tables and old mate losing his shirt.

With the Indigenous All Star not only sharing beers with Fittler as the night wore on, but posing together for photographs.

Then within 24 hours, Mitchell was with Fittler’s group again — this time at a local Christmas Carols event.

The start of what he says have since been regular conversations between the pair.

Which is some turnaround.

A truth proved last November when, appearing on Denan Kemp’s Bloke In A Bar podcast, Mitchell not only spoke of having a “bias” against NSW after being dumped, but suggested for a brief time he didn’t want to play for the Blues, or even talk with Fittler, conceding the axing left him “sooking and kicking stones”.

None of which he wanted to discuss Monday, however.

“I don’t want to (reflect) on that,” Mitchell said. “It’s done. In the past.”

What he was happy to discuss, however, was anything to do with beating Queensland, getting Origin advice from Wayne Bennett, even reuniting on a Blues flank with great mate Josh Addo-Carr.

Latrell bounced back his best in Souths’ demolition of the Eels.

“Foxx and me, we’re like brothers,” he said. “I love being around him.”

Same deal Souths coach Bennett.

“And I’ll give him a ring this week,” Mitchell said. “I just bounce ideas off him. He has all the answers.”

But as for ever fearing this week’s Origin resurrection, it may never have happened?

“Nah,” Mitchell continued. “I just had to work out what I wanted to do.

“I’ve worked really hard to get back here and was stoked when Freddy gave me the call.

“I’m excited to be picked, it’s a privilege.”