Defiant message after stars' arrest 'adversity'

1 year ago 58

The beingness of Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton won't beryllium a distraction for the Indigenous All Stars campy this week, according to the manager and a elder player.

Mitchell and Wighton were both arrested and charged by ACT Police pursuing a scuffle extracurricular a Canberra nightclub successful the aboriginal hours of Sunday morning.

The brace spent the nighttime successful a constabulary cell, but were released successful clip to marque it to Sydney and alert with the Indigenous squad to New Zealand, wherever Saturday's All Stars crippled volition beryllium played connected Rotorua.

Both players were approached by 9News for remark aft landing successful New Zealand, but were comparatively tight-lipped.

Mitchell offered a "no comment" erstwhile asked astir the Canberra incident, portion Wighton insisted the brace were inactive adjacent friends contempt the wrestle.

Cody Walker - who has captained the Indigenous All Stars squad successful the past - offered immoderate penetration into however his 2 teammates were handling the situation.

"They're good, they are excited to beryllium astir the boys and we're excited to person them successful the team," Walker said.

Watch the NRL All Stars connected Saturday, February 11 unrecorded and escaped connected Nine and 9Now.

"They are a large portion of our team, truthful looking guardant to getting them into camp.

"I don't deliberation it's going to beryllium a distraction. Obviously we can't remark excessively overmuch connected what's gone on. We'll get astir them, springiness them a large cuddle."

NRL prima Jack Wighton backmost successful Sydney aft alleged incidental involving chap subordinate Latrell Mitchell

Indigenous manager Ronald Griffiths besides unopen down immoderate proposition Mitchell and Wighton would beryllium an unwanted distraction successful camp.

"It's not (a distraction). We are focused connected our culture, we are focused connected our crippled astatine the extremity of the week," Griffiths said.

"Our occupation is to nonstop our players backmost amended men than erstwhile they arrived. That's not to accidental they're not truly large men already, but our occupation is to physique them up.

"Whenever you look adversity oregon thing successful the media similar that, erstwhile radical are looking for a story... it's ever going to instrumentality its toll connected you.

"They are young men and they are elite athletes, and I person nary uncertainty the unit they look each the time, it builds up.

"We've got immoderate truly beardown taste advisers successful our camp, immoderate of our elders, truthful our occupation is to physique them up spiritually and mentally, marque them strong."

Griffiths and Mitchell besides brushed disconnected concerns of a enarthrosis wounded for the superstar, aft video of his apprehension suggested he had been wounded erstwhile 4 constabulary officers pinned him down.

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