No Other Player Is Unavailable: Pressure Mounts on Latrell Mitchell During Media Blackout as James Maloney Fires a Barrage

Rugby league legend James Maloney has intensified the scrutiny on Latrell Mitchell regarding his ongoing media blackout.

Since August 2024, Mitchell has refrained from participating in press conferences, post-match interviews, and media appearances, following the emergence of a controversial photograph showing the South Sydney star in a compromising situation at a Dubbo hotel.

After Souths secured a win against Melbourne on Anzac Day, calls have grown for Mitchell to reconsider his media silence.

“I want to thank everyone for being here tonight,” Mitchell expressed during his speech at AAMI Park.

“This day is all about honouring those who came before us.”

“As a proud Aboriginal man, I cherish my culture and this nation, and I am grateful to all those who have fought for it.”

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Maloney, a retired champion with both the Roosters and Sharks, shared his candid thoughts on Mitchell’s media ban during a recent podcast.

“As players, we understand we earn good money from TV rights, and with that comes the expectation to engage with the media,” Maloney stated on News Corp’s Extended Bench.

“While I get where Trell is coming from, having faced backlash for his actions in the past, he must recognise that media engagement is essential for the sport’s livelihood and his pay check.”

“No other player opts out [of media duties], and I would assert that any other player not under Wayne [Bennett] wouldn’t be able to do that either.”

Wide World of Sports has reached out to both the NRL and South Sydney for their remarks.

Mitchell’s media embargo extends to both NRL and State of Origin events.

NSW Origin icon Benny Elias previously criticised the two-time premiership winner’s media absence prior to last year’s series opener in an interview with Wide World of Sports, describing it as “a blight on the game” and urged the NRL to educate him on the economic realities of the sport.

Ex-NRL player Josh Morris also directed sharp criticisms towards Mitchell on 2GB last week.

“It’s completely absurd,” Morris stated on 2GB’s Wide World of Sports.

“In a time when social media gives us more access to players than ever, generating significant viewership and revenue, it’s part of your contract to engage with the media. It’s baffling that he can avoid doing so.”

“It feels as if he’s suggesting he’s bigger than the game. That’s the impression I get. I can’t fathom it. A press conference or interview just once a month would suffice.”

“But 18 months? That’s pushing it.”

The Rabbitohs are set to take on the Knights in Newcastle this Sunday afternoon.