- Anthony Mundine has extended an olive branch to Latrell Mitchell
- Former boxer is ‘here for him’ if NRL superstar needs guidance
- Mitchell appeared in a questionable photo and was referred to the NRL’s integrity unit
They disagreed when it came to the Ezra Mam and Spencer Leniu racism scandal in Las Vegas in March, but that didn’t stop Anthony Mundine from offering his support to criticized star Latrell Mitchell.
A widely circulated photograph of the Rabbitohs full-back has been forwarded to the NRL’s integrity unit.
In the image, the indigenous ambassador appears to be standing on a table with a white substance on it.
Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting the white substance is an illicit drug.
The photo is understood to have been taken last weekend when Mitchell was in Dubbo in central-west New South Wales conducting a series of football coaching clinics.
“It is unfortunate that these allegations exist,” Mundine said. News Corporation.
“If you need help, I’m here. I wish nothing but love for my brother.”
The high-profile pair were at odds following the Mam-Leniu incident, where the former boxing champion and league star declared the Roosters enforcer’s monkey slur was “not racist”.
They disagreed over the racism scandal between Ezra Mam and Spencer Leniu, but that didn’t stop Anthony Mundine from offering his support to criticized star Latrell Mitchell.
A photo circulating widely on social media featuring the Rabbitohs fullback (pictured) has been forwarded to the NRL’s integrity unit.
Mundine then told Mitchell he has “underperformed” in his NRL career to date.
In a video posted on social media, Mundine claimed that because Mam is of Torres Strait Islander descent and Leniu is Samoan, there was no instance of racism on the field in Sin City.
That prompted a quick response from Mitchell, who backed the young Broncos player.
“This is what they tell our (Indigenous) people to do and they keep telling them: ‘Shut up and line up,'” Mitchell said in an Instagram post, referencing Mundine’s video.
‘Has anyone seen this story and have any cultural sense that this shit isn’t the same?
‘This is complete nonsense. I don’t agree with this, and if you do, do better.’
In the end, the two reached a truce, with Mitchell declaring that “the great (racial) debate will have to rest for now.”
Mitchell, 27, has spent the past few weeks sidelined with a foot injury sustained against Parramatta on July 4.
Mitchell has been sidelined with a foot injury sustained against Parramatta on July 4 and is not expected to play again this season.
The club is still unsure whether he will be able to return to the field this year, despite doctors deciding he did not need season-ending surgery.
It has been a troubled season for Mitchell and South Sydney as the club has struggled for consistency and the dynamic No. 1 has personally battled injuries and poor form.
In June, he spoke about how close he came to retiring and moving to his farm in Taree on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, revealing that constant criticism of his play on the field and his life off it has taken its toll.
“I feel like a lot of people hate me and don’t know me,” she said.
“A lot of people make me out to be a villain all the time… those short bursts of anger are not like me. They’re the ones that build up over time, when people are constantly attacking me.”
In response to criticism from media pundits, Mitchell issued a six-word message.
“If the media would just shut up and let me play, there wouldn’t be any controversy,” he said. “Honestly, if they would just shut up and let me play, there wouldn’t be any controversy.”
Mitchell was suspended for a bad throw on Warriors playmaker Shaun Johnson as the team endured a horrendous start to the season that saw coach Jason Demetriou fired in April.
He missed the first State of Origin match but made headlines when he returned to the Blues for the second game at the MCG and played a starring role in a big win over Queensland.
An injury prevented him from playing in the decisive match, which the Blues won at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.