Latrell Mitchell sends six-word message to his haters as footy superstar reveals how close he came to retiring

Latrell Mitchell has revealed his true personality to the football superstar and explains why he remains so reserved.

Mitchell, 27, is undoubtedly the most talked about player in the NRL. His return to the State of Origin on Wednesday has been much-discussed given his difficult 2024 season with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

But the Bunnies star responded emphatically to those critics, helping the Blues demolish Queensland at the MCG to take the series to a decider in Brisbane.

Mitchell’s public perception has also been a topic of discussion, with him facing criticism for wading into the racism storm involving Spencer Leniu and Ezra Mam at the start of the NRL season.

But the 27-year-old is a conscientious and caring figure, evidenced by his rush to attend a junior footy clinic in Taree, country NSW, in the early hours of Thursday morning, not long after the final whistle was blown in Melbourne.

In an interview with Channel 9, Mitchell discussed the toll the ongoing drama and criticism has taken on him.

“I just feel like a lot of people hate me and they don’t know me,” he said on the Sunday Footy Show.

‘A lot of people hate me and make me the bad guy all the time. That’s why I try not to hide myself as a person.’

The NRL superstar has received a fair amount of criticism from fans and pundits

‘That’s how I am now, because that’s how I was screwed. In the past, but I learned a lot from those situations when I was young. And when I was exploited.

“The way I behave on the pitch is a bit of frustration from off the pitch. Behaving like that is not the way to play football. It’s not the game I like.

“These short bursts of anger. That’s not me. That’s what builds up over time or over the course of a week or a month or a year, when people are constantly coming at me.”

Mitchell responded to criticism from media pundits and released a six-word message.

“If the media just shut up and let me play,” he said. “Honestly, if you guys shut up and let me play, there wouldn’t be anything controversial anymore.”

Mitchell confirmed reports he was considering early retirement and admitted he was tempted to return to Taree.

Mitchell gave his haters a six-word message confirming that he was considering retirement

“I didn’t want to go through another year of, you know, sadness,” he said.

‘But when you peel back the layers, you see the people who have made sacrifices for you and you want to make them proud.

“All I’ve ever done is stand up for my people. Standing up for my culture and standing up for my family,” he said.

“I honestly think about it: if I had just kept my mouth shut and done my job, like everyone is saying now, I would be the best player in the world.”