Mitchell open to more games for Indigenous All Stars

With calls from new Indigenous All Stars coach Ron Griffiths that his side should be allowed to compete in the next Rugby League World Cup, star fullback and centre Latrell Mitchell has spoken out.

Mitchell has said that while he's interested in the prospect of the Indigenous All Stars playing more games, he believes it shouldn't come at the expense of the Kangaroos.

Mitchell, who only recently returned from Australia's 30-10 World Cup triumph over Samoa, was prompted by the Sydney Morning Herald about his thoughts on taking the All Stars to the World Cup.

“What's going on now [with the Kangaroos], it's hard to break that up,” Mitchell said.

“You talk about dividing a country; there are other ways to look at it. I don't want to comment on it too much or blow it out of proportion.

“For the Indigenous All Stars we could tour a bit more. Instead of just playing the Maori All Stars, we could tour England and play England, do that kind of thing.

“That's probably the best chance we can get. We [could] do [other things while playing] for Australia, getting an Indigenous jersey to play in or start doing the dance, performing or something little. We can get everything to tie in and be proud of the country.”

Mitchell has played four matches for the Indigenous All Stars, to go with his ten Tests for the Kangaroos, but missed the 2022 All Stars game due to suspension.

It's expected he will be one of the first players picked in Griffiths' side for the 2023 encounter against the Maori side, with the match to be held in New Zealand for the first time during mid-February.

The Rugby League World Cup win makes for a grand conclusion for a player who almost didn't go to the World Cup because of how long it would keep him away from home.