Paul Kent erupts over NRL’s failure to sanction Latrell Mitchell

The prominent rugby league journalist has erupted over the NRL’s failure to sanction South Sydney star Latrell Mitchell.

Journalist Paul Kent has teed off on the latest Latrell Mitchell saga amid news Triple M has been sanctioned over the superstar’s infamous foul-mouthed interview.

The 26-year-old has faced no punishment from the NRL over Mitchell’s expletive-laden rant live on radio following South Sydney’s loss to Brisbane last Thursday, sparking calls he was a protected species.

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The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Tuesday that the NRL has blocked Triple M from shooting post-match interviews in a response to complaints from the Rabbitohs and Channel 9.

Triple M has also deleted the interview from its social media pages.

Speaking on Fox League’s NRL 360 show on Tuesday night, Daily Telegraph journalist Kent has slammed the inconsistency from NRL headquarters, referencing Spencer Leniu’s eight-week ban for racially abusing Broncos star Ezra Mam.

“I’m just disappointed with the whole woke politics the NRL is carrying on with these days,” Kent said.

“On the one hand you’ve got Spencer Leniu and (NRL chief executive) Andrew Abdo says you need to be mindful of the things we say so we’re going to wack Spencer Leniu.

Paul Kent and Latrell Mitchell. Photos: NCA Newswire/News Corp

“Next question (to Abdo), Latrell Mitchell. (He replies) ‘well, we all make mistakes’.

“Come on now. There has to be a consistency in the application of the rules.

“We all get the s**ts on the field when you don’t see consistency, off the field it’s even worse.”

Kent also referenced Penrith’s Mitch Kennedy, who copped a one-game ban for a social media post referencing “a couple Boxing Day lines”.

“Latrell Mitchell drops half a dozen F-bombs, and acknowledges that in the interview and says ‘I don’t care’, and they go ‘we all make mistakes’. Like please,” he said.

“Show some guts in there and start getting it right. They’re terrified of the backlash that comes with all the other stuff brought in. No one has the balls to stand up to it in the game.”

Asked what he meant by “all the other stuff”, Kent replied: “The Indigenous stuff.

“Latrell does get picked on, does get a hard time and there are times some horrible things get said about him.

“But only two weeks ago he weighed in on the Leniu suspension, when he’s not allowed to under NRL rules, and they quietly gave him a free pass.

“This is an opposition player advocating for a player to get suspended.

Mitchell during his infamous interview.

Latrell Mitchell’s post on Instagram.

“The NRL, for all their enlightened ideas, are weak and gutless and don’t have the balls to sit there and say let’s fight for some consistency with how we address things.

“They’re terrified to do it and they’re weakening the game.”

NRL 360 host Braith Anasta weighed into the controversy, saying Mitchell should have faced some sort of sanction.

“I just think something had to be done,” he said. “We’re not talking big fines or anything, but if other players are going to get sanctioned, (he should too) that’s all.”

There was a strong reaction on social media to the decision to sanction Triple M and not Mitchell.

“The levels of adjustments being made here to do anything other than tell the player to just to act a little more professionally … Jesus,” was one response.

“So the NRL punish the media outlet instead of the player at fault,” wrote another.

“No way! This can’t be real,” added another.

“As a Souths supporter, that’s lame. Let the player take responsibility for his actions,” wrote a fourth.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo has come under fire for his comments. Photo: Tim Hunter.

One did favour the move, writing: “Good. Media has to take responsibility.”

Former England and Bulldogs prop James Graham also spoke about the situation on NRL 360 and voiced his support for the Rabbitoh.

“I don’t think he deserves any sympathy, but it was a very highly-charged, emotional response to the clear, dire situation South Sydney are in at the moment,” he said.

“I’ve been that person before and I’ve said the wrong thing. But some of the criticism I feel is a little bit unfair.

“I want to see that. I don’t want to hear ‘shout out to the boys’. I want to see players that are emotional, that care and it clearly affected him.”

Earlier today, Abdo vehemently denied Mitchell gets special treatment and that the sport is too afraid to sanction him after he escaped a fine for the interview.

Abdo says he’ll reach out to Mitchell in due course to privately discuss his behaviour having come under fire for his language, with former Broncos, Maroons and Kangaroos forward Corey Parker suggesting other players may have been sanctioned if they’d done it instead.

Phil Gould has shared his concerns about Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell with one late night detail saying it all. https://t.co/bpee3FV3wQ

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The South Sydney fullback hasn’t been hit with a breach notice and will likely avoid a fine or suspension, but Abdo stressed that it wasn’t because the NRL was afraid to stand up to one of the game’s most influential figures.

Players have been investigated in the past for using poor language, but Abdo said Brandon Smith wasn’t hit with a breach notice for swearing on a podcast, and neither was Cronulla’s Toby Rudolf for making inappropriate comments on Fox Sports.

“That’s quite a bold statement to make and we’ve proven over the past that when a player breaches the rules and we believe it warrants a breach action, we take it,” Abdo said at the launch of Multicultural Round in Parramatta.

“Equally, we’ve been accused of being too harsh on players. Everyone will have their view on that. I’m really comfortable with where this sits and I’m comfortable with the action that we’re taking at the moment.

“Everyone has their opinions and that’s what we love about our game. Everyone has their views and are passionate about them, and I respect that completely.

James Graham expressed his support for Latrell Mitchell. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

“I think it’s important to note that I will always catch up with a player. There’s always been an open invitation to catch up with any player or official in the game from time to time on a range of matters.

“But we have a number of high-profile players and Latrell is one of them. He’s a role model, he’s a leader and if there’s an opportunity to engage with him and work with him on a range of issues confronting the game, then I wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t doing that.”

Mitchell took to Instagram to tell everyone to “move on” from the issue.

Abdo then made the comment that Kent had rallied against.

“I’ve been the CEO for four seasons and we play a lot of matches,” Abdo said.

“The players talk to the media on huge occasions, so from time to time to get instances where the language used is regrettable is quite isolated in my view.

“We’re encouraging players to be themselves and be authentic and genuine, but I’ll go back to the word I used earlier, with ‘respect’.

“We all make mistakes, and we have to take it in the context of from time to time there will be things said that players regret. I’ve heard Latrell acknowledge the fact that he does regret that, and I will have a chat with him in due course.”