From the Daily Telegraph, loving Latrell's attitude!!!
Latrell Mitchell opens up after NRL ban
Latrell Mitchell reveals he’s “disappointed” in first interview since being controversially rubbed out for four weeks by the judiciary.
Latrell Mitchell won’t be going home to Taree to spend the next month on his farm.
Despite a four-week suspension, the superstar fullback has vowed to return to football in round 11 in great shape for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
“I’m very disappointed I’m not playing for four weeks and it will be hard watching the boys each week,” said Mitchell, in his first interview since being controversially rubbed out for four weeks by the judiciary from incidents during last weekend’s game against Wests Tigers.
“I’ll be working hard over the next month to ensure I’m ready to go for round 11.
“My main aim is to stay fit and win the premiership this year — I know we have the team to do it.”
South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly said Mitchell remained fully focused.
“Latrell showed in the way he recovered from the serious hamstring injury last year that he has got real resilience,” Solly said.
“Whatever the setback is, he’s got the passion and pride in his performance to come back better than ever.
“It was a nasty injury. He didn’t sulk. He didn’t feel sorry for himself. He just threw himself into his rehab.”
Latrell flew to the Gold Coast with the rest of the Rabbitohs team for the Titans match on Friday night.
“That’s a measure of his growing leadership,” Solly said. “Not only did he want to do it, but Wayne and the coaching staff thought it was important for him to be around the team because of his influence around the team.”
Legal eagle shares radical plan to shake up NRL judiciary
By Adrian Proszenko
April 25, 2021 — 5.35am
The go-to lawyer for NRL stars has called for a radical overhaul of the judiciary system that includes the players’ union helping to fund and select panellists to ensure the system is truly independent.
The NRL will undertake a holistic evaluation of the match review and judiciary processes at the end of the season, a move welcomed by South Sydney. The Rabbitohs are aggrieved that Latrell Mitchell has been suspended for a month after he was unable to earn a downgrade on a grade-two dangerous contact charge for an incident involving Wests Tigers winger David Nofoaluma.
Souths believe the system is flawed and will furnish the NRL with a number of recommendations after consulting with Nick Ghabar. The prominent lawyer, who has acted for players in more than 100 cases during the past decade, shared his blueprint for change with The Sun-Herald.
His proposals include:
The Rugby League Players Association helping to fund, train and select panellists to ensure the judiciary process is perceived as truly independent;
Limiting the number of panellists to just two former players, with the judiciary chairman providing a casting vote only if there is a deadlock;
Capping loading at 25 per cent, whether it be for similar or different offences;
Panellists to be made aware of loading and carry-over points before delivering verdicts to ensure they understand the consequences of their decision.
“The panel currently isn’t perceived to be independent and that’s part of the problem,” Ghabar said.
“There is a thing in law called an apprehension of bias, where you are going to be biased towards those who fund you.
“It’s hard to put out of your mind that the NRL pays these panel members. They are hand-picked, trained and then paid by the NRL, so you tell me how they are independent?
“It’s not a massive amount of money, but it should half be paid by the NRL and half the players’ association. The RLPA should also have a say in which panel members are elected and be part of that training and veto process.”
Ghabar believes that judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew should have a greater say in the outcome of cases due to his specialised knowledge in the field.
“It should be two [former] players and a chair, not three players,” Ghabar said. “The judiciary chair has a casting vote if they are split. If they are agreed, he won’t need to vote.”
Souths coach Wayne Bennett lashed out at the three charges Mitchell received, claiming none of them deserved a suspension. The veteran mentor won’t have the star fullback for a further three games after the Rabbitohs defeated the Titans without him on Friday night.
Ghabar said there were too many different types of charges and that all loading for previous offences should be capped at 25 per cent. Currently, loading for similar offences is 50 per cent, while for different charges it is 20 per cent.
“They give you a 25 per cent discount for an early guilty plea, so it’s only fair they give you 25 per cent loading for any offence,” he said.
At present, the panellists hand down findings without being made aware of loadings or carry-over points from previous offences. Ghabar said it often resulted in heavy-handed decisions .
“They should know if they find a bloke guilty of a grade two, for instance, that he is sitting out for four weeks,” he said.
Despite being sidelined, Mitchell remains in the headlines. The NRL and the Rabbitohs have lauded Mitchell for calling out racist taunts on social media, which helped lead to the arrest of two people. The former Roosters back is scheduled to speak publicly about the issue at a press conference on Monday.
