Fears Latrell Mitchell may walka away from rugby league

Media harassment of Latrell Mitchell has indigenous stars concerned that the Rabbitohs fullback may quit the game.

Teammates have expressed fears Latrell Mitchell will turn his back on the game Picture: AAP

In the lead-up to Christmas, ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys was forced to intervene to calm down a group of senior indigenous players seething at the treatment of Latrell Mitchell in the media.

V’landys may be called upon again, given the furore that once more surrounds Mitchell as the premiership prepares to resume. Within the space of 48 hours, a host of the game’s most respected indigenous players spoke out in support of Mitchell, warning that he could be driven out of the game unless the South Sydney star is given some space to live his life.

Manly back Joel Thompson appeared on NITV earlier this week and renewed comparisons between Mitchell and Adam Goodes, the latter having lost his love for Australian rules amid ­racism-inspired barracking.

On Wednesday morning, South Sydney captain Adam Reynolds drew an even more imperious comparison, suggesting media scrutiny on Mitchell resembled that which forced Michael Jordan to take a break from the game in his prime.

Reynolds was drawn to the similarities while watching The Last Dance, the Netflix series documenting the all-conquering ­Chicago Bulls and their run of six titles during the 1990s.

The latest episodes focused in part on Jordan at a time when he was being questioned over his gambling habits, the constant barrage leaving him burnt out and craving some time away.

Mitchell has been under immense scrutiny over the decision to breach self-isolation rules when he and Melbourne winger Josh Addo-Carr spent time together during the game’s hiatus.

Mitchell and Addo-Carr were fined $50,000 (60 per cent suspended until the end of the season) and given suspended one-match bans. Then Mitchell was forced to undergo a test for COVID-19 after he turned up at South Sydney training on Monday with cold-like symptoms.

His name was again pasted all over the papers and television, and he was upset one television crew staked out his home.

His teammates weren’t happy either, their mood no doubt darkened later by a story that appeared to single out Mitchell on Wednesday over his return to training.

“He has been positive,” said Reynolds, who has a tattoo of ­Jordan on his leg.

“If anything, I think we need to give it a rest. The media keeps bashing him up. I don’t know if you have watched the documentary of the Chicago Bulls and what they did to Jordan, they almost lost him to the game — they pretty much did.

“I would hate to see us lose Latrell with all this media pressure. From what I have heard, there were reporters at his front door the other day.

“Latrell has just had a newborn baby, he has a wife with another young child. He is constantly hounded. He is a human being at the end of the day. I think we need to give him a bit of space.”

Asked whether he was worried Mitchell might walk away from the game, Reynolds said: “I am not worried about him leaving the game.

“He has a great family and great support around him. At the end of the day, he is a human being — if you keep knocking him and chasing him wherever he goes, it can have an effect on anyone. It happened to Michael Jordan and he is at the pinnacle of sport.

“Latrell is a young kid, he has made some mistakes, but he is constantly scrutinised by the media, which I think is unfair.

“It is just because his name is Latrell Mitchell.

“I don’t think it is fair journos turn up to his front door and harass him at his family home. That is crossing the boundary.”