The booing of Indigenous rugby league star Latrell Mitchell is being fuelled by commentators in the media attacking his play because they don’t like his outspokenness, according to Rabbitohs boss Blake Solly.

And, the chief executive of South Sydney Rugby League Club added it could spiral into another ‘racist’ Adam Goodes-type situation if not addressed seriously.

Mitchell is one of the NRL’s star players, yet is booed at every game, echoing the racial vilification of former AFL player Goodes, who was targeted by opposing fans and sections of the media for his comments about racism.

Solly told Central News the booing was “mindless” and often came from a place of naivety among fans. He believes most blame falls on the media and sports commentators pushing a needlessly negative narrative.

“There is an agenda driven by some commentators which is anti-Latrell and is not grounded in the reality of who he is,” Solly said. “There’s definitely an element of his race, and his principal stance against racism.”

He said commentary shows like Fox Sports’ NRL360 are encouraging and normalising the behaviour of fans.

“The more it is talked about and the more negatively Latrell is characterised in the media, the more it is encouraged and seen in fans,” he said.

When it’s fans of clubs that don’t really have an axe to grind against Latrell, that’s when you start to scratch your head.

“I think there’s some people in the media who don’t like an Indigenous person having a view and they don’t like a black man who will speak up. They’d much prefer him be subservient and not comment on things that don’t relate to them.”

The Rabbitohs fullback has played in the NRL since 2016. Since then his star power has grown, but in recent years his name has been in headlines for all the wrong reasons.

He has been booed at NRL games since 2022 but the problem intensified in the 2024 season.

Booing during the Rabbitohs vs Roosters game was initially put down to team loyalty and tribalism, given the Roosters were Mitchell’s former team and Rabbitohs fiercest rivals, but the outpouring of contempt for Mitchell has continued through all games this season.

“When Latrell plays against the Roosters, he’s probably always going to be booed, there’s no doubt about that. But when it’s fans of clubs that don’t really have an axe to grind against Latrell, that’s when you start to scratch your head,” Solly said.

Fans online continue to debate the motives behind the booing, and whether it is racially or behaviourally motivated.

Mitchell is currently suspended for three games over an elbow to Warriors player, Shaun Johnson, in round six.

And it is his rough play at times that has made it easy for both fans and commentators to claim the booing is performance based. However, the booing began long before the elbowing incident.

Solly said Mitchell is known for owning up to his mistakes, and the club would never support him for anything he does wrong on the field.

“Something like forearming Shaun Johnson in the head, Latrell is the first person to admit, he needs to be criticised for, but standing up against racism isn’t something you should be hated on for,” Solly added.

Mitchell regularly attends events and fundraisers for local Indigenous youth and is keen to act as a role model for them.

If anyone is booing him because of his race or what he stands up for, that’s not in keeping with the values of the sport.

Issues surrounding race and Mitchell have inevitably brought up comparisons with Goodes.

The Swans’ Indigenous full forward and dual Brownlow Medalist was booed at almost every AFL match he played in for two years, before deciding to leave the sport prematurely in 2015. It followed him calling out racism from the crowd in a game against Collingwood in 2013. Various media commentators at the time supported the booing and claimed it was about the former Australian of the Year’s’s character not his stand on racism.

The Goodes case is scarily similar to the issues facing Mitchell, but Solly outlined the importance of taking lessons from the AFL and hopes fans and the NRL are able to treat the situation better.

“We need to learn from what happened to Adam Goodes and be diligent when people are being racist in their commentary but also draw the line that when a player does something wrong on the field, that criticism isn’t racist,” he said.

Solly said he is hopeful the situation doesn’t end the way it did for Goodes, and is confident that the NRL is more adaptable and supportive to players like Mitchell than the AFL was.

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Latrell Mitchell. Photo supplied and with the permission of Sonny Brar, South Sydney Rabbitohs Digital Media Manager.

“The NRL are more advanced in their thinking than the AFL clubs, so for example you would never have a chairman of another NRL club criticise Latrell for his stance,” said Solly.

Mitchell is passionate about helping young Indigenous Australians achieve success, working alongside Rabbitohs charity, Souths Cares.

The 26-year-old is not only known for his success on the field, but within his club and community for the hard work he does for his family and culture.

Solly added Mitchell is putting on a brave face, but the last few weeks have had a real impact on him.

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Mitchell regularly attends events and fundraisers for local Indigenous youth and hopes to act as a role model for them. Photo: Sonny Brar.

“He (Mitchell) is far from perfect but my experience with him is overwhelmingly positive,” Solly said. “His care for his community, his love for his family, his desire to see his teammates do well is as solid as I’ve ever seen a player in the game.”

Critics claim the booing of Mitchell highlights a persistent issue of racism in sports in Australia, but Solly said he hoped the situation would soon be resolved and not be a cloud over the NRL or affect other Indigenous players.

“It is important to remember we are dealing with a human being here,” he said. “If anyone is booing him because of his race or what he stands up for, that’s not in keeping with the values of the sport.”

Photos by Sonny Brar, South Sydney Rabbitohs Digital Media Manager.