Mar 13th, 2020

Mar 13th, 2020

Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett has exploded at the NRL for making Latrell Mitchell a lightning rod for criticism by wrapping him in the Aboriginal flag in the most talked about moment of the ad promoting the 2020 season.

Ahead of South Sydney's opening-round clash against Cronulla, Bennett used his press conference to let rip at the game's governing body, claiming it had ambushed the indigenous star for its own political purposes.

Wayne Bennett with Latrell Mitchell (Getty)

"I will tell you about the ad. The ad is the responsibility of the NRL, it had nothing to do with Latrell," Bennett fumed.

"He was told to be at a place at 5am in the morning, thought he was going to be passing the ball to somebody.

"Somebody comes up to him and puts a flag on his back and says 'this is what we're going to do with you'.

"I heard the NRL say the other day they will stand behind him. They need to stand in front of him.

"He was doing their job. Okay. It wasn't his idea. It wasn't his ad.

"The NRL need to get in front and say 'we take responsibility for what happened here. It had nothing to do with Latrell'."

Bennett admitted Mitchell was not concerned about the criticism his role in the ad had attracted but said that was beside the point.

Mitchell, still just 22, has attracted headlines all summer after rejecting a lucrative contract to remain at the Roosters.

From the contract saga, to his leading role in the Indigenous All Stars stance against having the national anthem played at the pre-season fixture, to his symbolic role in the ad, Mitchell has rarely had a moment to himself as his personality and character have become fodder for scrutiny.

Leading sports journalist Peter FitzSimons earlier this week told Wide World of Sports' 5 Minutes with Fitzy there was a danger that Mitchell was becoming the next Adam Goodes, a sporting icon who was booed everywhere he went because he rejected the status quo.

Latrell - the next Adam Goodes: 5 Minutes with Fitzy

Mitchell appears prepared to shoulder that burden but Bennett made it clear he was deeply unimpressed with the NRL for taking advantage of that.

"He is not worried about it personally but I asked some questions when I saw what was coming his way," the seven-time premiership coach said.

"That is the story. That is the background.

"They are required under their contracts to do promotional work for the NRL. He was told to be at a place at 5am in the morning and this was what was going to happen. There was a change of game plan. It didn't happen what he was told was going to happen and they gave him the flag and said 'put this on'."

Bennett said he had not spoken to the NRL about his complaints.

"It was their promo. And it was none of his idea," Bennett continued.

"Being a young man he was compliant, he didn't carry on. He just did what he was asked to do.

"The game needs to take ownership of what they did rather than sitting behind saying 'we are going to stand behind Latrell. Please."

While the ad has been the main talking point relating to Mitchell over the last couple of weeks, his move from centre to fullback, sealed by his switch to the Rabbitohs has also come into question.

In the first episode of Wide World of Sports' Freddy & The Eighth Andrew Johns doubted the wisdom of moving the dominant attacking force, a view that clearly doesn't sit well with Bennett.

"If you are going to be in my business and worry about critics you are not going to last very long.

"I have been through a lot of situations with a lot of players and in the end we always get there because we make good decisions, we have good people around us that is the key to it all.

"If we have made a wrong decision, well, we will change it and we will correct that.

"It is not to say we get them all right either.

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"But he will be the fullback of this club for a long time in my opinion.

"He has such a high skill level. Athletic ability is one thing, but skill is another.

"And he is a rugby league player. That is what he is.

"I would say as a kid growing up he spent a lot of time in the backyard playing with brothers, cousins whatever, and just playing backyard footy because he portrays all those things that you only learn in the backyard.

"Coaches don't teach you the stuff he has got."