Joey busts NRL myth as legends dissect Latrell saga

Andrew Johns admits his standing as one of the best players in the game at the time led to him taking liberties at Newcastle.
And as the saga surrounding Latrell Mitchell rolls on, Johns believes the embattled star might one day feel he’s doing the same.
Mitchell will face the South Sydney board in a bid to convince them not to tear up his lucrative contract after a series of indiscretions.
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This year alone Mitchell has been involved in several high-profile incidents, including a social media spat with Anthony Mundine following the Spencer Leniu-Ezra Mam racism saga and his hefty suspension for a “stupid” act on Warriors gun Shaun Johnson.
Latrell Mitchell has had an up and down 2024 season, and is in a fight to save his career. Getty
Most recently, a photo was circulated of Mitchell leaning over a table and what appears to be a white substance. He has already been handed a breach notice by the NRL, and is also expected to be punished by his club.
The Rabbitohs stood Mitchell down from club duties for the remainder of the season.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ Freddy and the Eighth, Johns said on reflection he “carried on” a bit and was held to a different set of rules to his Knights teammates. He also lamented there were times he should’ve been pulled into line.
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Andrew Johns has admitted to taking ‘liberties’ throughout his career at the Knights. Getty
He said Mitchell may feel the same way about his actions at some point in the future.
“There are times looking back I wished I would’ve slapped myself in the face, some of the carry on I did,” Johns said.
“But it’s hard for me to sit here and comment because I don’t want to sound like a hypocrite.
“Anyone who thinks a set of rules is the same for everyone in rugby league or a team sport is bullshit.”
Wayne Bennett, who will return as Bunnies coach next season, has previously said as much when he stated each player has a different length of leash.
“I had more rope than anyone else and I should’ve got tugged plenty of times,” Johns said.
Brad Fittler echoed sentiments shared by Phil Gould and Paul Gallen on Nine’s 100% Footy, and suggested both the NRL and South Sydney had made a rod for their own backs by not keeping Mitchell on a shorter leash.
“Where the game I thought didn’t help Latrell is early in the season, he made some comments about the Ezra Mam (being racially vilified by Spencer Leniu) case, which you can’t do as a player,” Fittler explained.
“One thing I think our game does sometimes, we have this thing where we don’t want to put people off, and I thought they let Latrell down by allowing him to do that, and therefore thinking he’s above the game.
“I think it’s come back and bitten them.
“There are things you can and can’t do and I think the league let him down at the start of the season when they blurred that line, and I think … (they’ve let him) do what he wants to do.”
Fittler said his own poor behaviour had been pulled into line by high-profile teammates early in his career, which he believed is something Mitchell has lacked.
Johns said that was a result of the state of the game and salary cap restrictions.
“A lot of the senior players get moved on a year or two before they’re finished, whether they go to England, it’s just the way the salary cap is at the moment,” he said.
“So you haven’t got those old hard heads who even stay behind and play reserve grade for a year or two when they finish.
“It’s just the way of the world.”
Mitchell faced the Rabbitohs board this week but both legends believe he won’t be sacked.
“He’s too good a player. If he was a fringe player, he’d be sacked. It’s just reality,” Johns said.
“People say ‘oh no, it doesn’t happen’. It happens in every organisation.”