Latrell Mitchell reveals he is dealing with ongoing shoulder injury after arrest

South Sydney superstar Latrell Mitchell has broken his silence over his arrest in Canberra, addressing his painful screams as police handcuffed him.

Latrell Mitchell reveals he is dealing with an ongoing shoulder injury. Picture: Simon Watts

Latrell Mitchell insists he won’t be changing in the wake of his arrest in Canberra last weekend.

He is apologetic for taking the focus off this weekend’s All Stars game but says those who know him, know the real Latrell Mitchell.

Asked whether he had been unfairly targeted, presumably by police, Mitchell replied: “Everyone has a perspective and time will tell.”

Mitchell will get his day in court. For the moment, his focus is on atoning for the events of last weekend, when he and good mate Jack Wighton were arrested in the nation’s capital after an alleged wrestle apparently got out of hand.

The incident threatened to take the gloss off a game in the season that Mitchell genuinely cherishes - few players in the NRL are as proud of their indigenous heritage as the Rabbitohs talisman.

With that in mind, Mitchell issued his second apology in as many days for putting rugby league on the front page of the newspaper rather than the back.

Latrell Mitchell reveals he is dealing with an ongoing shoulder injury. Picture: Simon Watts

Mitchell also revealed he was dealing with an underlying shoulder issue, although he refused to take direct aim at the police for the way they arrested him in Canberra on Sunday morning when he could be heard screaming in apparent fear as he was wrestled to the ground.

“It speaks for itself I guess,” Mitchell replied when asked about his screams.

“I don’t want to talk too much about it. The doc pretty much cleared me. There are definitely a few things going on with it (the shoulder) but it’s an underlying issue.

“It’s just me and Jackie boy being cousins, and being friendly and doing what we do, and having fun. Would you hear about if it wasn’t Jack Wighton and Latrell Mitchell?”

“The club has been very supportive and I can’t thank South Sydney enough. I just want to say sorry to them because obviously it is not what we want ahead of the NRL season.

“It is not what anyone wants. I want this game to be as clean as possible and play the game with so much passion. I won’t change for anybody.

“Anybody who knows me knows who Latrell Mitchell is. That’s all that matters. I really want people to know the game of rugby league is what it is and I don’t want to take the focus away from this week, and what we are trying to achieve here and play this special game.

“I really love being here.”

Wighton added: “It is not what anybody wants. I am very sorry to the club. I have worked for the last five years to repay my last muck-up.

“I have a young family and it is never good going through that kind of stuff. It is something I have to live with now.”

Latrell Mitchell. Picture: 7NEWS

Latrell Mitchell. Picture: 7NEWS

Mitchell and Wighton reiterate that they remain close friends. They also insisted that they never considered withdrawing from the All Stars game.

“We didn’t want to be anywhere else but in camp,” Wighton said.

“It would have been unfair to the fans and everyone else if we pulled out because of our selfish behaviour. I have to be smarter than that. I am older than Latrell and I should have taken responsibility earlier.

“We got carried away and we are in this position now.”

Their hope is that by speaking on Tuesday, the focus will now switch to the All Stars game and a week where the Indigenous and Maori cultures are celebrated.

“There are a lot of elements that go into it - metal health and what not, being around my brothers here, having a laugh and getting back to being me again, and really enjoying that part and aspect of being culturally proud,” Mitchell said.

Originally published as Latrell Mitchell reveals he is dealing with ongoing shoulder injury after arrest