Latrell Mitchell
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| Born | Latrell Goolagong 16 June 1997[1] Taree, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 102 kg (16 st 1 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Fullback, Centre, Wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 27 Aug 2021 Source: [2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Latrell Mitchell (né Goolagong; born 16 June 1997)[1][3] is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL, and has represented both New South Wales in the State of Origin series and Australia at international level as a centre.
He began his career with the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League and was a member of the 2018 and 2019 NRL Grand Final championship rosters. Mitchell has also represented the Indigenous All Stars, and played as a wing during his earlier career.
Background[]
Mitchell (né Goolagong) was born in Taree, New South Wales[1] and is of Aboriginal descent from Birrbay and Wiradjuri people.[citation needed] He played junior rugby league for the Taree Red Rovers.
Playing career[]
Early career[]
In 2013 and 2014, Mitchell played for the New South Wales under-16s and under-18s teams respectively.[4] Mitchell played for the Roosters' S. G. Ball Cup team during the 2014 season, where he was named as the S. G. Ball Player of the Year, and the man-of-the-match in the S. G. Ball Grand Final.[5]
In November 2014, Mitchell was selected for the Australian Schoolboys team for their tour of England and France.[6] He was named as player of the series, having scored 13 tries in 7 games.[7][8]
Mitchell played in the Roosters' NYC team during the 2015 season. On 16 June 2015, he re-signed with the club until the end of the 2019 season.[9] On 8 July 2015, Mitchell played at fullback for the New South Wales under 20s team and scored a try in the 32–16 win at Suncorp Stadium.[10] On 14 September 2015, Mitchell was named on the interchange bench in the 2015 NYC Team of the Year.[11]
2016[]
Mitchell was named in the Roosters' 2016 NRL Auckland Nines squad.[12] During the tournament, he scored 4 tries in 3 games.[13] Mitchell also played in the Roosters' 2016 World Club Series win against St Helens.[14] In Round 1 of the 2016 NRL season, he made his NRL debut for the Roosters against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.[15] Mitchell played in every game for the Roosters during the season, finishing with 14 tries as the team's leading try scorer and leading point scorer.[16]
2017[]
In February, Mitchell played as an interchange in the 2017 All Stars match at McDonald Jones Stadium.
In the first round of the NRL season, Mitchell scored a hat-trick in the Roosters' 32–18 win over the Gold Coast Titans at Robina Stadium. He helped the Roosters climb up the ladder to 2nd place after 26 rounds scoring plenty of tries. He scored the game-winning try in week 1 of the 2017 finals against the Broncos.[17] In the preliminary final against North Queensland, Mitchell endured a horror night which involved him sending two kick off restarts out on the full which both led to tries for the opposition. The Sydney Roosters lost the match 29–16 in what proved to be one of the upsets of the season.[18][19]
2018[]
Mitchell was selected to play for New South Wales in The 2018 State of Origin series by coach Brad Fittler. He scored a try in the first match of the series.[20] Mitchell went on to play in the other 2 games of the series where New South Wales emerged victorious winning their first Origin shield since 2014.[21]
In the NRL 2018 finals series, Mitchell was handed a one match suspension after being charged for a crusher tackle on Josh Dugan in the Roosters victory over Cronulla. Mitchell subsequently missed the preliminary final victory over Souths.
On 30 September, Mitchell played in the 2018 NRL Grand Final against the Melbourne Storm scoring a try and kicking four goals in the Sydney Roosters 21–6 win.[22][23]
At the National Dreamtime Awards 2018, Mitchell was named Male Sportsperson of the Year.[24]
2019[]
In February, Mitchell played as a centre in the 2019 All Stars match at AAMI Park and kicked 3 out of 7 goals.
In round 6 of the 2019 NRL season, Mitchell scored a try and kicked the winning field goal as the Sydney Roosters defeated Melbourne 21–20 in golden point extra time.[25] In round 8, Mitchell scored a hat-trick and kicked 7 goals as the Sydney Roosters defeated Wests Tigers 42–12 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.[26]
In Game 1 of the 2019 State of Origin series, Mitchell was sin binned for a professional foul on Matt Gillett in the 58th minute,[27] and dropped for the subsequent games.[28]
In round 14 against Canterbury-Bankstown, Mitchell scored 2 tries and kicked 5 goals in a 38–12 victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground.[29] In round 18 against Newcastle, Mitchell scored a try and kicked 8 goals as the Sydney Roosters won the match 48–10 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.[30] In Round 20 against the Gold Coast, Mitchell scored 2 tries and kicked 9 goals as the Sydney Roosters won the match 58–6 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.[31]
In round 22 against the New Zealand Warriors, Mitchell scored 2 tries and kicked 5 goals. The Sydney Roosters won the match 42–6 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.[32]
On 2 October, Mitchell was named as the Dally M centre of the year at the Dally M Awards ceremony.[33] Mitchell played at centre in the club's 2019 NRL Grand Final victory over the Canberra Raiders at ANZ Stadium. Mitchell was involved in the play that won the match as he threw a flick pass for Daniel Tupou who beat the Canberra defence and then passed back on the inside for James Tedesco to seal the win.[34]
On 25 October, Mitchell kicked 4 goals for the Australian side's 26–4 victory over New Zealand in the Oceania Cup.
2020[]
In January, Mitchell signed with South Sydney on a one-year deal worth $600,000 with the club having the option of committing by 30 April to the 2021 season for a reported $800,000.[35]
In February, Mitchell played as fullback in the 2020 All Stars match at Cbus Super Stadium.
Mitchell made his debut for South Sydney in round 1 of the 2020 NRL season against Cronulla-Sutherland. However, he was benched by coach Wayne Bennett after 55 minutes of play.[36]
In round 5, Mitchell scored his first try for South Sydney as the club defeated the Gold Coast side 32–12 at Bankwest Stadium.[37]
In round 15, Mitchell scored two tries and kicked one goal in a 56–16 victory over Manly-Warringah at ANZ Stadium.[38]
In round 16, Mitchell was taken from the field with a hamstring injury during Souths 38–0 victory over Parramatta, and was later ruled out for the season.[39]
2021[]
In January, Mitchell reportedly signed a two-year contract extension worth around $875,000 per season until the end of 2023 with South Sydney.[40]
In February, Mitchell played as fullback in the 2021 All Stars match at Queensland Country Bank Stadium and kicked 2 out of 2 goals.
In round 5 of the 2021 NRL season, Mitchell scored two tries and kicked a field goal in South Sydney's 35–6 victory over Brisbane.[41]
On 20 April, Mitchell was suspended for four weeks after being charged over two incidents during South Sydney's victory over the Wests Tigers in round 6. The incidents involved Mitchell lashing out at Wests player Luke Garner with his boot, and a late hit to the head of David Nofoaluma. Mitchell was also fined $3000 by the NRL[42] and ruled ineligible for a 2021 Dally M Medal due to this suspension.[43]
On 30 May, he was selected for Game 1 of the 2021 State of Origin series;[44] Mitchell scored two tries and kicked one goal, seeing New South Wales defeat Queensland 50–6.[45] He also played in the other games of the series, which New South Wales won 2–1.[46]
In round 20, Mitchell scored two tries for South Sydney in a 50–14 victory over St. George Illawarra.[47]
In round 24, Mitchell's season ended after scoring two tries for South Sydney in a 54–12 victory over the Sydney Roosters. He was also sin binned for an illegal shoulder charge on Roosters player Joseph Manu, who left the field with a fractured cheekbone.[48] Mitchell subsequently took an early plea after being charged with a grade two reckless high tackle charge and was suspended for six matches (675 points).[49] Without his prior offences, Mitchell would have been offered a four-week ban.[50] Consequently, Mitchell missed playing in the 2021 finals series and the 2021 NRL Grand Final against Penrith Panthers.
On 1 September 2021, NSW State of Origin coach Brad Fittler warned that Mitchell could "end up shortening his career" if unable to stay out of trouble on the field.[51] Two months later, "Latrell Mitchell took out the True Blue Award, which is judged by the (NSW) coaching staff and goes to a player who displays qualities upon which the team culture is built."[52]
2022[]
Mitchell was suspended for the last four matches of 2021, and carries forward another two weeks suspension into 2022. This includes representative matches.
Personal life[]
Mitchell's registered birth name was Goolagong. His maternal great aunt is Evonne Goolagong Cawley.[53] However, during his early teens, Latrell and his brothers changed to their father's surname.[54] Latrell's older brother, Shaquai, also played in the Sydney Roosters under-20s.[55]
There are 116 nations listed as the birthplace of NRL players.[56] Although players are not obliged to do so, prior to Game 1 of the 2019 State of Origin series, Mitchell announced that he would not sing the Australian National Anthem because it did not represent Aboriginal Australians.[57]
On 27 April 2020, Mitchell was fined $1000 by the NRL and placed under investigation after he broke strict lockdown protocols with fellow NRL player Josh Addo-Carr by going on a weekend camping trip during the COVID-19 pandemic. Addo-Carr was also investigated for use of a firearm.[58] On 28 April, Mitchell was fined an additional $50,000 by the NRL for breaching strict self isolation protocols and for bringing the game into disrepute.[59] On 9 November, Taree Local Court sentenced Mitchell to a 12-month conditional release order after he pleaded guilty to giving a firearm to a person not authorised by a licence or permit.[60]
In August 2021, after Mitchell pleaded guilty and was suspended from the NRL for six matches, Mitchell's uncle Maurice Goolagong claimed that Mitchell "is struggling in the aftermath as his partner has been receiving death threats".[61] A few days later, when a reporter asked how Mitchell was going, South Sydney head coach Wayne Bennett responded: "He’s very well, thanks. I’m sure he’d appreciate you asking that."[62] Bennett also confirmed that Mitchell was still physically with the team in the Queensland COVID bubble, particularly playing the role of the opposition as they do different training drills. The youth responsible for directing threats via social media was given a police caution.[63]
In September, the NRL confirmed a clause in its judiciary code that rules Mitchell ineligible to play in the Indigenous All-Stars annual representative exhibition match scheduled for early 2022.[64]
Mitchell and his long-term partner Brielle Mercy[65] have two children.[66]
References[]
- ^ a b c "Latrell Mitchell". South Sydney Rabbitohs.
- ^ "Latrell Mitchell - Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ @sydneyroosters (16 June 2018). "Join us in wishing Latrell Mitchell a big happy 21st birthday!