NRL360 co-host Paul Kent believes Latrell Mitchell calling out fan’s booing him continually is a “cry for help”.
The South Sydney fullback labelled the actions of the Roosters faithful “disappointing” and “f***ing s***” and drew a comparison to the treatment of AFL legend Adam Goodes.
“Adam Goodes gave up his career because of it,” Mitchell said to The Daily Telegraph.
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“It’s not nice because we cop it every day as it is, and regardless of what happens on the field, it stays on the field. They have control over what they do off (the field) when they come watch a game.”
Kent believes that the NSW representative is “putting out two very different versions” of himself after his latest comments.
Only last week the 25-year-old labelled himself “the entertainer”, and Kent warned that may have painted a target on his back
“To me it sounded a little bit like a cry for help,” Kent said on NRL360 on Tuesday.
“Latrell is putting out two very different versions, one minute he is the entertainer he is, he calls for players to go out and embrace the inner entertainer in them.
“Next minute, because some fans don’t like that, he is coming out and saying lay off us.
“I think the reference to Adam Goodes was a poor reference, completely different set of circumstances.
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“I took it that the Roosters fans were booing him, one because he plays for South Sydney, two because of what happened with Joey Manu and three, because he came out and encouraged everyone to be the entertainer.
“To me it shows he is confused, in some respects I am a little bit worried about him from that point of view.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Crawley highlighted that to begin with, Mitchell spoke like a person who was upset by the crowd’s booing, before stating “it doesn’t worry me”.
“On one hand he says it doesn’t bother him, on the next it clearly does,” Crawley said.
“He is a former Rooster, he has changed clubs, he puts himself out there, the fans turn up and boo him.
“When Ricky Stuart turns up to play Parramatta they boo him.”
“Latrell is a poster boy player, a pin-up player that the game sells tickets off, so when fans go to games,” The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio said.
“Particularly with an atmosphere that I can’t remember for some time, for just a normal round game, Allianz Stadium created a special atmosphere, with so much interest and volatility within.”
Kent believes that Mitchell’s tackle on Joey Manu, in which he broke his cheekbone, is the reason behind the continuous booing — explaining Roosters fans “have not forgotten”.
“Last time he played against the Roosters, he smashed Joey Manu’s face, and got five weeks and cost himself a grand final,” Kent said.
“The Roosters fans have not forgotten.”
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“If you leave a club and go to another club, and then you play that club, the fans boo you, don’t take it personally, it is part of the game,” NRL360 host Anasta said.
“It is a part of the game it is a part of the history of rugby league,” Crawley said.
“They aren’t going to not boo him now, he has just done these ones,” Anasta said, moving his hand in a motion as if he was stirring a pot.
“I have loved him this year, he has been amazing, I encourage him to not lose the way that he is and the way he plays.
“But he also needs people around him and advice that this probably isn’t the right way to respond to last week’s game and take it to heart so much.
“It is going to burn him out, wear him down and affect his time on the field.”
