Dominic Perrottet backs down over call for life bans for racist NRL fans Latrell Mitchell

Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell has broken his silence for the first time since he was allegedly racially abused during the game against Penrith last Thursday – as NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet backed down from calls for life bans for racist fans.

Mitchell trained separately from the main group at Redfern Oval on Monday, making a statement by wearing socks with the Indigenous flag on them.

The 25-year-old superstar has now opened up about why he took action on the alleged abuse he suffered during the loss to the Panthers. 

‘It is important for me to call this abuse out immediately,’ Mitchell told the Daily Telegraph.

‘Not only for myself, but every Indigenous person who has suffered or suffers this sort of abuse. We have a number of Indigenous players in our squad — who will have all been as equally offended by the comment.

Mitchell trained separately from the main group at Redfern Oval on Monday, making a statement by wearing socks with the Indigenous flag on them

The 25-year-old superstar has now opened up about why he took action on the alleged abuse he suffered during Thursday’s loss to Penrith (pictured)

‘The only way to stop this abuse continuing is for people to call it out immediately -just as the Panthers players and my teammates did on Thursday night’.

Meanwhile, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has backed down from his stance that the teenager who allegedly called Mitchell a ‘black dog’  should receive a life ban from NRL matches.

Mr Perrottet admitted on Tuesday morning that he went too far when pressed by 2GB host Ben Fordham about ‘double standards’.

Fordham reminded the NSW Premier that he also made a silly mistake by dressing up in a a Nazi uniform at his 21st birthday party.

‘As premier of the state I need to do everything I can to make people across NSW appreciate and understand there is no racism,’ he said.

‘I’ll accept that my comments were probably too strong that day … It was a footy game the night before and when you hear those things and see those things they frustrate you as Premier and my job is to send a clear message to the public that it’s not acceptable at sporting games.

‘To be fair to you I’d say this and obviously to that young man people make mistakes and I was probably wrong about that at that point in time, I was pretty passionate that day based on what had occurred the night before,’ he said.

Late last week, Indigenous Cronulla star Nicho Hynes shared his heartbreak over the alleged racist abuse hurled at Latrell Mitchell, but the gun halfback wants the teenager who allegedly made the slur to be looked after by the NRL.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has backed down from his comments that the teenager who allegedly called Mitchell a ‘b***k dog’ should receive a life ban from NRL matches

Mr Perrottet admitted on Tuesday morning that his calls went too far, when pressed by 2GB host Ben Fordham about ‘double standards’. Fordham reminded the NSW Premier that he also made a silly mistake by dressing up in a a Nazi uniform at his 21st birthday

‘I think the game needs to do something about checking in on him [the offender] as well, and his wellbeing,’ Hynes explained on Fox League.

‘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.’