League stars in alleged stoush

NRL superstar Latrell Mitchell was supposed stay at Jack Wighton’s home in Canberra over the weekend to celebrate the Canberra Raiders star’s 30th birthday.

Instead they spent Saturday night in police cells in the national capital.

The NRL integrity unit is now investigating after police charged both players over an alleged incident at 3.45am outside a Canberra nightclub.

They will appear in court on Wednesday, February 22, the week before the NRL kick-off.

Mitchell and Wighton were released from custody around 10am. They then went back to Wighton’s home for breakfast with their families. The pair drove to Sydney separately to join the Indigenous All-Stars squad in the team hotel on Sunday night.

They leave for New Zealand on Monday to play the Mori All Stars on Saturday.

Boxing promoter Matt Rose looks after the management of both players. He insists there was little in it.

“They are always having a wrestle,” Rose said. “They both think they are stronger than each other and are mucking around all the time. It was a bit of fun that went wrong after a few drinks.”

Rose’s comments were backed up by an eyewitness who described it as “nothing more than a friendly wrestle with a bit of aggression.” The pair are incredibly close.

ACT police released a statement on Sunday saying: “About 3.45am ACT Policing responded to reports of a disturbance near a nightclub on Bunda Street in the city.”

“The 30-year-old has been charged with fight in a public place and fail to comply with an exclusion direction, while the 25-year-old has been charged with fight in a public place, affray, and resist territory public official.”

The pair had been out celebrating Wighton’s 30th birthday which started out at Walsh’s Hotel in Queanbeyan.

The NRL is monitoring the situation and making inquiries with ACT police.