‘He’ll be copping it a lot’: Dally M winner urges NRL to educate fan accused of racial slur

Dally M medallist Nicho Hynes has called for the teenage NRL fan who allegedly racially abused South Sydney’s Latrell Mitchell to be educated rather than castigated. 

Mitchell has been front and centre of the NRL news cycle since Thursday when he was the subject of a racial slur during the Rabbitohs’ loss away to Penrith.

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Indigenous league icon Greg Inglis has led calls for the perpetrator to be handed a lifetime ban.

But Cronulla halfback Hynes, who played with Mitchell for the Indigenous All Stars this year, claimed that the teenager should be made to learn about why his words were so damaging. The Rabbitohs said the fan called Mitchell a “black dog”.

“I think the game needs to do something about checking in on him as well, and his wellbeing,” Hynes said.

“We are obliged to make sure that we check in on him, because he’ll be copping it a lot.

“Part of it should be that he goes and educates himself now on Aboriginal culture or on racism in general.

“It could be a reflection of the people around him or what he’s been taught.”

The day after Mitchell was met with abuse, it was left to two other Indigenous fullbacks to shine in Friday’s NRL games.

Reece Walsh grabbed a try on his senior Brisbane debut as the Broncos beat North Queensland, while Cronulla’s Will Kennedy scored his first NRL hat-trick as the Sharks downed Parramatta.

“I back Latrell, he’s part of our mob and our people and we’ve got to get behind him,” Kennedy said.

“It’s not a good thing to happen at our games. He’s a big role model in the league.

“He leads well and he’s good for our people. I haven’t heard anything like that in ages and for it to come up is not a good look for rugby league.”

AAP