Latrell Mitchell said he would love to have Joseph Suaalii playing outside him in this year’s State of Origin series, backing the rugby union defector to become the next Sonny Bill Williams.
Speaking on the same day he was announced as an ambassador for Greg Inglis’ mental health initiative The Goanna Academy, Mitchell put aside the bitter rivalry between the Rabbitohs and Roosters to offer his support to Suaalii.
The Roosters 19-year-old announced this week he will take up a three-year contract with Rugby Australia from 2025, prompting calls from the likes of Phil Gould for him to walk away from the NRL now.
NSW coach Brad Fittler has indicated he will still consider Suaalii for selection.
Suaalii is expected to tangle with Panthers star Brain To’o and Bulldogs speedster Josh Addo-Carr for the Blues’ two wing spots.
Asked whether Suaalii should still be considered for Origin honours, Mitchell said: “One hundred per cent, if he is doing the right things.
Greg Inglis has signed Kennedy Cherrington, Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker as ambassadors for his mental health initiative, The Goanna Academy.Credit:Nick Moir
“I don’t think you say because he has made a decision on his future that you go and tarnish him and say he can’t play our game. If he is doing his job, put him in.
“I would 100 per cent love to have him outside me. He is going to be something [special] and he has to be proud of himself and what he is achieving.
“Regardless of what anyone is saying, backing yourself is the biggest thing I have always done and he is doing that now. We’ll see another Sonny Bill Williams.”
Suaalii walked away from the Rabbitohs as a junior to sign a Roosters deal laced with options each year in his favour. The club successfully applied for an exemption for him to play in the NRL before his 18th birthday.
Mitchell called for Suaalii’s critics to lay off the young star, who will play his first game since the rugby union announcement when the Roosters host the Eels at Allianz Stadium on Thursday night.
Mitchell joined Souths teammate Cody Walker and Parramatta’s NRLW star Kennedy Cherrington in officially joining The Goanna Academy on Wednesday.
The trio will help Inglis by talking about their own mental health stories and encouraging people to seek support when needed, particularly in Indigenous communities.
“Mental health is a massive talking point, especially in sport,” Mitchell said.
“I have been through a lot of stuff and been able to talk about it. I probably haven’t been to the depths Greg has been to, but he is proud of who he is now.
“I looked up to Greggy coming though – everyone knows that and there were the comparisons as I was coming through. I am in a position now where I have a very strong voice in the NRL and when I tend to speak, people tend to listen or love not to listen.
“I am very proud to be part of [The Goanna Academy], but it is more for the kids.”
Walker, a previous winner of the NRL’s Ken Stephen Medal for community work, was full of praise for Inglis’ project, which will involve the ambassadors visiting remote parts of Australia to prevent suicide and reduce the stigma of mental health.
“The figure of Greg is quite big in rugby league terms, but it could be even bigger in this mental health space,” Walker said. “He went through it while he was playing in the back end of his career and he put on a brave face in front of us, and to hear him come out the other side is exciting.
“I think the four ambassadors have all got different journeys and we’ve all faced different struggles. A lot of our stories and journeys are quite relatable to a lot of these kids.”
Cherrington said: “We’ve been working hard on safe storytelling. I went through some childhood trauma and had open-heart surgery when I was eight.
“I went through the ups and downs and the complications of not being able to live a normal child’s life. It gave me a second chance.
“I went through bullying in high school and I felt like I had no one to talk to because of the shame of opening up. What I told Greg before is I wish I had the person I am today when I was struggling. This will enhance my learning and I can give back to the communities through The Goanna Academy.”
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