Gorden Tallis and Gary Belcher take on ‘hysteria’ surrounding Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton
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Footy legends Gorden Tallis, Gary Belcher and Mark Carroll hit out at ‘hysteria’ surrounding Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton’s nightclub fight: ‘Who cares? Just pull your head in
- NRL superstars arrested after public ‘struggle’ in Canberra
- They will both be in ACT Magistrates Court on February 22
- A trio of former NRL greats believe the incident was a ‘storm in a teacup’
A host of footy legends have questioned the level of ‘hysteria’ surrounding Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton’s nightclub ‘fight’ in Canberra last weekend, which saw the couple spend a few hours in a detention cell.
Broncos great Gorden Tallis, Raiders premiership winner Gary Belcher and former Sea Eagles enforcer Mark ‘Spudd’ Carroll all think the public incident was out of proportion.
Wighton, 30, and Mitchell, 25, were arrested following a fight outside a Canberra nightclub on Saturday night as they celebrated Canberra’s fifth-eighth birthday.
They will be in ACT Magistrates Court on February 22.
Mitchell was also charged with resisting arrest.
Speaking on Triple M, Tallis agreed with the sentiment that the incident was a ‘storm in a teacup’.
‘Two guys fighting. If their names weren’t Jack Wighton and Latrell Mitchell, would we hear about them, and would the police have arrested them? he asked.
“Punches were thrown, was anyone injured in the situation? I would say no, and just two homies – probably one [drink] too much. I started a push and shove and got into a wrestling.
A host of footy legends have questioned the ‘hysteria’ surrounding Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton’s nightclub ‘fight’ in Canberra last weekend (pictured, on Wighton’s 30th birthday )
Broncos great Gorden Tallis, Raiders premiership winner Gary Belcher and former Sea Eagles enforcer Mark ‘Spudd’ Carroll (pictured) all believe the incident was out of proportion
Speaking on Triple M, Broncos legend Gorden Tallis said the football players’ superstar status was working against them.
Belcher called Wighton – who in 2018 received a two-month suspended prison sentence after assaulting five men during a late-night drunken rampage in Canberra – a bit of a lovable “thug”.
He also urged the NSW Blues Origin star not to change his ways in public.
‘I don’t want Jack to change at all. I know times have changed, but I can’t believe the hysteria about it,” he said.
“Jack would have fit in perfectly with the former premier side of the Raiders.
“Nowadays he would have struggled with Ricky Stuart or Mal Meninga and the cops would come and say, ‘Come on boys, we know who you are, calm down’.
‘It’s a different world now. “It says a lot now about modern technology and it bothers me how some NRL players are treated.
Wighton, 30 (left) and Mitchell, 25, were arrested following a fight outside a Canberra nightclub on Saturday night as they celebrated Canberra’s five-eighth birthday
“If another person was involved, that’s different, but if Jack and Latrell are fighting each other, whatever, just tuck your head in and use discretion.”
Carroll admitted that two NRL superstars wrestling in public are not good looking, but told Wide World of Sports they were only guilty of going out and “having a good time”.
Both said they are committed to the next Indigenous-Maori All Stars clash in New Zealand on February 11.
“We remain great friends and look forward to proudly representing our community at All Stars this weekend,” they said in a statement from their No Limit Boxing leadership.