Daley tells Latrell to build on leadership role

TRAVIS MEYN

RUGBY league legend Laurie Daley has urged Latrell Mitchell to follow in the footsteps of Johnathan Thurston and Greg Inglis and become the NRL’s next indigenous icon.

Mitchell will make his anticipated move to fullback in tonight’s All Stars clash at Robina’s Cbus Super Stadium.

At age 22, Mitchell is already one of the NRL’s biggest stars, having won two premierships and represented Australia and NSW.

The excitement machine is also a fiercely proud indigenous Australian, regularly fighting back against online racist trolls and speaking honestly about cultural issues.

The NRL has lost some of its strongest indigenous voices in recent years following the retirements of Inglis (2019) and Thurston (2018).

The stage is set for Mitchell to step into the void and Daley believes the 96-game NRL player is ready to take on the responsibility.

“He is certainly capable of elevating himself to that standing in the game,” Daley said.

“That will come down to how hard he is prepared to work throughout his career.

“He’s a real leader in the indigenous community and can be a guy that can influence a lot of players and people. I’ve seen him develop over the last couple of years as a leader and he’s taken on that role and responsibility very seriously.”

Mitchell was the focus of the NRL’s off-season after his dramatic switch from the Sydney Roosters to the Rabbitohs.

He will wear the All Stars’ No.1 jersey tonight against the Maori All Stars, and will play at fullback for the Bunnies.