Frizell praises Mitchell for speaking up
Dragons Den
SPEAKING UP: Tyson Frizell says players are right to call out social media trolls who abuse them after Origin teammates Latrell Mitchell and Blake Ferguson were subjected to racial abuse online. Picture: NRL Photos
DRAGONS star Tyson Frizell says players would need to be "living under a rock" to completely steer clear of social media after Origin teammates Latrell Mitchell and Blake Ferguson were both subjected to vile racial abuse online this week.
Mitchell this week called out racial abuse he copped on his own social media channels, while news reports brought to light other racial slurs directed at Ferguson online.
The wife of Cowboys lock Josh McGuire has also spoken out about death threats her husband has received over the last week following a suspension.
They are at the worst end of the scale but people directing abuse at NRL players, racial or otherwise, on social media platforms is nothing new.
Dragons halfback Ben Hunt has stated that he's steered well clear of the online vitriol directed his way, while his wife took to Instagram last year to slam online bullies for their relentless attacks aimed at her husband.
It's a world fraught with potential difficulties but Frizell said suggestions players should stay completely offline is pointing the finger in the wrong direction.
"It's easy to just say put it aside and don't worry about it but phones, social media, the internet is part of your everyday life," Frizell said.
"Its hard not to see those things and take that in. Do you tell players not to have a phone or not open anything. You'd honestly be living under a rock if you didn't have any of that.
"Boys can cop abuse in terms of the way you play or not being a good player but for people to come out and be personal, saying things about your family or using racial slurs... it's something we can't tolerate as players.
"It's good people are becoming aware of it and we're able to say something and make something happen, not just sweep it under the carpet and ask people to ignore it."
Most people in the game, NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg among others, have thrown their support behind Mitchell for calling out the abuse.
Supporters have been in the majority, but there have been some who suggest players shouldn't give trolls oxygen by bringing added publicity to their comments.
Frizell said it's important that players speak out against it or risk sending a message to kids out there that they should simply cop it on the chin when faced with similar bullying.
"I think it's great for players to stand up against it because if we don't stand up we're sending a message to kids out there that that sort of stuff's OK," Frizell said.
"If a guy like Latrell can stand up and call that stuff out, I'm sure there's other Aboriginal kids out there that are going to be willing to stand up because Latrell did.
"It's good to see other players get behind it because it's not something you want around our game and we don't want that in society either.
"[Online abuse] is bullying. There's a lot of talk about mental health nowadays and for players to stand up and say something is great."
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/6331503/mitchell-right-to-speak-out-frizell/?cs=3713
