Greg Inglis fires back at Latrell Mitchell’s critics

Greg Inglis, who has moved to the UK to play in the Super League, has dismissed claims about Latrell Mitchell’s capability.

Greg Inglis has hit back at critics of Latrell Mitchell, saying he will make the full back position “his own” at Souths as he comes back from an injury-interrupted season.

The former NRL star, who has moved to England to play with Warrington Wolves in the Super League, dismissed claims over Mitchell’s suitability for the position which clouded him last season.

Channel 9 commentator Phil Gould had claimed Mitchell did not have the “intensity to play full back”.

Andrew Johns said in September he had been wrong to say that Mitchell was a centre, not a full back.

Greg Inglis at the Warrington Wolves in the UK, where he is making a shock return to league.

Inglis, who was a development coach at Souths last season, told News Corp that Mitchell would shine this year after he recovered from a hamstring injury.

“One thing that I said when we signed Latrell is that he’s a natural footballer, he can pass, he can run, he can meet the game,” he said.

“He’ll make his transition to full back his own, he will play it in his right way and that’s just something that he’ll do.”

Inglis, who turns 34 today, said Mitchell did not listen to the noise outside the Rabbitohs.

“Again the pressure of the media over there is just all going to be about Latrell, Latrell, Latrell – is he going to be right in this position, he should go back to centre,” he said.

“The coaches there know what Latrell’s capable of, Latrell knows what he’s capable of and Latrell will make that position his own.

“He’s obviously had a disrupted year with his hamstring last year and surgery but I still have chats to him every now and then and see how he’s going. He’s getting better and better.”

Inglis, played 263 games of NRL with stints at the Melbourne Storm and then the Rabbitohs, including the 2014 premiership.

Latrell Mitchell during an NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and South Sydney Rabbitohs. Picture: Phil Hillyard

His early retirement surprised the football world, which he initially blamed on injuries before later revealing he had been suffering depression and had been diagnosed with bipolar.

He had patches where he had been drinking too much alcohol – up to three bottles of wine on a Friday night – but has now been looking after himself.

Inglis said he was feeling better, and was open to discussing mental health, which he does through his charity the Goanna Academy.

He arrived in England this month, where it snowed in his first week, but has been keeping up with the academy’s work via late night Zoom calls.

“I just tapped into the schools about it (mental health). It’s getting teachers, parents, adults to understand and look out for the signs,” he said.

“Actually it’s OK to talk about stuff, it’s not something you should shy away from, that’s one thing I’m very passionate about is actually breaking down the stigma of mental health, especially in young men.”

Greg Inglis with Alyse arrived in England this month where it snowed in his first week. Picture: Instagram

Inglis, who was a State of Origin star in his 32 caps for Queensland, follows in Alfie Langer’s footsteps in the move to Warrington.

However, there was no chance he was going back to play representative football again, he said.

The door was also shut on a NRL comeback, even if his form justified it after a one-year deal at Warrington.

Inglis’ South teammate Jason Clark, who now plays at Warrington, encouraged him to come across to the north of England.

Greg Inglis joins a host of NRL players in the Super League. Picture: Instagram

He managed to get there despite the restrictions in place from COVID-19, which has made international travel extremely difficult.

“You can’t really stop the world from still going around, just treading carefully. The rules are in place and the majority of people are following it,” Inglis said.

“At the end of the day, it is what it is, it’s forever evolving and you’ve just got to listen out for the experts.”

Inglis said that he wasn’t aware of the controversy surrounding NRL players using gang signs during post-match interviews, adding he had been too busy organising passports and visas.

He joins a host of NRL players in the Super League, including Gareth Widdop, also at Wolves, and Israel Folau at Catalans Dragons, where he signed on for a second year.

While Sonny Bill Williams played for the Toronto Wolfpack last season before he returned to the NRL mid-season because COVID-19 wiped out the Super League season.

Widdop, who reportedly tried to return to Australia this year despite earning up to $900,000 a year at Wolves, was one of Super League’s highest paid players.

Inglis, who was an NRL star, may not command his usual high payment, with the Super

Life goes on, despite COVID, but “tread carefully” says Inglis. Picture: Instagram

League salary cap coming in at $3.7 million compared with $9.6 million in the NRL.

However, he said he wanted to come back because he had fallen back in love with the game after coaching last year.

“I know what I’m capable of and I know the standards I set for myself,” he said.

“That’s one thing that drives me is fear of failure to be honest, it’s going to take me five or six rounds until I get back to my best but I know I can get there.”

Inglis would have traditionally been a crowd drawcard, but it’s unclear when people will be back at live sport in the UK because of social distancing rules in one of the hardest hit countries in the world.

However, he said he knew there would be fierce competition on the field, and that he was ready for anything the Super League could throw at him.

“Once I have crossed that white line my mentality changes,” he said.

“I know I have got a job to do. I know there is going to be a target on my head but that’s just how its got to be and that’s what I’m expecting anyway.”

His famous goanna try celebration might also make a comeback.

“Over here, it depends how wet it is, it could turn into a slug that crashes into a fence,” he laughed.

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Originally published as Greg Inglis fires back at Latrell Mitchell’s critics