NRL 2024: Latrell Mitchell fires back after Anthony Mundine defends Spencer Leniu over Ezra Mam racism drama

A war of words has erupted after Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell slammed Anthony Mundine for claiming Spencer Leniu was ‘not racist’ and suggested that Ezra Mam needs to ‘toughen up’.

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Anthony Mundine has launched a stinging attack on Latrell Mitchell, labelling the South Sydney superstar an underperformer who hasn’t earnt the right to comment on racism in rugby league.

The Ezra Mam-Spencer Leniu NRL racism storm has inadvertently led to a spat between Indigenous icons Mitchell and Mundine, who took aim at the Rabbitohs star over his strong views on the Mam-Leniu saga.

Mitchell has been a strident critic of Leniu, lashing him for racially vilifying Broncos young gun Mam and calling for the Roosters prop to be suspended for at least two months, if not longer.

Mitchell’s views surprisingly go against the grain of Mundine, who believes Mam should “toughen up”, claiming Leniu is not guilty of a racial slur because he is of Polynesian descent.

Now Mundine – who called out racism as a professional boxer and believed it drove him out of rugby league – has gone a step further, sensationally taking a swipe at Mitchell, telling him to earn his stripes.

“To Latrell. Listen,” Mundine wrote in a social media post on Friday night.

“Let me educate you on a few things that should have been quite apparent to you.

“When it came to exposing racism & bigotry in sport, I was the pioneer.

“I paved the way.

“In fact, I was giving a voice & standing up for Aboriginal people’s rights when you were still in nappies.

“I bled for the cause.

“So when I have something to say about racism in sport, I’ve earned the right to say it.”

Mundine then implored Mitchell to start delivering on the field for Souths, claiming he was an inferior version of Greg Inglis and not living up to his potential, even with Cody Walker as his sidekick at Redfern.

“Trell, please,” ‘The Man’ added.

“Just focus on your footy.

“You’ve been underperforming far too long & been lucky to have Cody (Walker, Souths five-eighth) by your side to hold your hand.

“Earn the right to talk before you start trying to disrespect the ‘OG’ of the game.

“Remember, despite what you might think, you’re no Greg Inglis & you’re certainly no Anthony Mundine.

“Despite your disrespect, I want you to succeed and excel. Your success fills me with pride & honour, but you need to learn to respect those who paved the way for you!!!

“Peace, THE MAN.”

‘Absolute bulls**t’: Latrell fires back after Mundine defends Leniu

-Adam Mobbs, Brent Read

Latrell Mitchell has slammed Anthony Mundine over his “absolute bulls..t” claim that Sydney Roosters prop Spencer Leniu was “not racist” when he called Ezra Man a “monkey” and that the Brisbane Broncos five-eighth needed to “toughen up”.

In a video posted on social media, Mundine claimed that because Mam was of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent and Leniu was Samoan, it did not amount to racism.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – NewsWire Photos JANUARY 01, 2021: Anthony Mundine looks on during a press conference in Redfern to discuss changes in the wording of the Australian national anthem. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jenny Evans

Leniu on Thursday issued a public apology to Mam, admitting he called him a “monkey” during the Roosters’ 20-10 victory over the Broncos in last Sunday’s season opener in Las Vegas, but argued he didn’t mean it as a racial slur.

Mundine addressed the issue on Instagram on Thursday night in a video he accompanied with the caption: “toughen up, happens all the time with our people”.

“I just wanted to put my 2c piece about the Ezra Mam controversy, about racism,” Mundine said.

“I mean, it ain’t racism.

“When two brothers are brown or black fellas, you can slur each other, you call them a ‘black c’ or this and that, that’s what they are.

“It’s like African-American and another African-American calling each other the n-word.

“I think they outta toughen up in that sense. It’s not racism.”

DAILY TELEGRAPH. MARCH 6, 2024. Pictured at Sydney International Airport today is South Sydney Rabbitohs star player Latrell Mitchell returning back from Las Vegas with teammates today. Picture: Tim Hunter.

That sparked a swift rebuke from South Sydney fullback Mitchell, who has been a vocal supporter of Mam’s since the incident and himself the target of racial vilification by fans over the years.

“This what our people get told to do and continue to get told. ‘Be quiet fall in line’,” Mitchell said in an Instagram post referencing Mundine’s video.

“Anyone seen this story and knows any sense of culture that this shit isn’t the same thing.

“Absolute bulls..t. I don’t agree with this and if you do, Do better.

“Give respect get respect !! Don’t dilute the longest living culture in the world.”

Latrell Mitchell responds to Anthony Mundine's claims in his Instagram story.

While playing for St George in 1996, Mundine was the victim of racial vilification when Canterbury forward Barry Ward called him a “black c...”

At the time, the Dragons five-eighth said he was “absolutely disgusted” by Ward’s $10,000 fine, which was reduced to $5000 on appeal, leading Mundine to declare: “Boxing is a very definite option for me and I may just take it up now. Rugby league may be too willing to tolerate racism.”

Mundine walked away from rugby league midway through the 2000 season.

However, he said the Mam-Leniu case differed from his experience.

“A white fella saying it a black fella, that’s a different story,” Mundine said on Thursday. “That’s a whole different kettle of fish.

“Then you can really say that’s blatant racism.

“But another black fella or brown fella saying it to another brown fella? Come on, bra.

“You’ve got to take it on the chin. That’s what we have done all our lives, growing up.”

Originally published as NRL 2024: Latrell Mitchell fires back after Anthony Mundine defends Spencer Leniu over Ezra Mam racism drama