BREAKING NEWS: “A challenging and candid dialogue”: Latrell Mitchell and the NRL boss meet.
Latrell Mitchell, a fullback for South Sydney, and NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo met after two weeks of controversy involving one of the sport’s most well-known players.
Following Mitchell’s profanity-filled interview on Triple M following his team’s Thursday loss to Brisbane, Abdo asked to meet with the player at his Rugby League Central office in Moore Park on Wednesday night.
The NRL chose not to discipline Mitchell for his indiscretion, as the Herald stated on Sunday, but Abdo insisted on meeting with the 26-year-old in person to go over the matter in greater detail.
Although it wasn’t the case during the weekend, Mitchell has one of the strongest voices in the game, and the NRL wants him to use it for good.
It happens two weeks after Mitchell came under criticism for saying Spencer Leniu ought to serve a longer suspension than the 12-week limit for referring to fellow Indigenous player Ezra Mam as a “monkey” during the Roosters-Broncos game on March 3 in Las Vegas.
Abdo announced the meeting and clarified what was expected of the players in the game.
Abdo said, “I met with Latrell this evening.”
“The conversation was honest and challenging. I clarified to him the expectations placed on him as an NRL player as well as the behavioral problems he’s been having lately that cannot be repeated.
“We decided to keep working together on some significant issues affecting the game after he acknowledged this.”
The meeting took place the day after Abdo denied rumors that the governing body was reluctant to discipline Mitchell for his profanity-filled radio broadcast, preferring to have a private meeting with the South Sydney star instead of fining him.
Because they are only human, players will occasionally make mistakes.
Mitchell came under fire after his team’s 28–18 loss to Brisbane when he used four F-bombs in a Triple M interview. In an interview with Nine’s 100% Footy on Monday, Canterbury general manager Phil Gould stated that Mitchell had “become bigger than some of the people that are trying to control him” and that he should have been restrained long ago.
Nonetheless, Abdo emphasized that meeting with Mitchell was a more fruitful course of action than paying a fee, and that neither Brandon Smith nor Toby Rudolf had received any punishment for their contentious remarks made during live interviews.
“Clearly using foul language is an example of what we don’t want our players to do,” stated Abdo. “We expect our players to set a good example.”
Players will occasionally say things they later regret saying, but we are all fallible, so I believe it’s important to keep things in perspective.
“I will speak with Latrell when the time is right. I’ve heard him admit that he regrets it.
Since I’ve been the CEO, there have been instances where we’ve tried to engage with the players, remind them of their duties and responsibilities, and assist them in building not just their personal brands but also the brands of the clubs and sports they represent.
Because they are only human, players will occasionally make mistakes. It’s critical to distinguish between situations in which following the law has been violated and those in which there is a chance to genuinely assist and empower individuals.
In fact, this is pretty much in line with how we’ve handled similar situations in the past. We have attempted to collaborate with the player and assist them in expanding their fan base communication strategies rather than legally violating their contract.
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