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Mitchell and Leniu slammed for Origin ban
SEN • May 20th, 2025 11:22 am
Andrew Voss has called Latrell Mitchell and Spencer Leniu’s media ban “a load of rot”, slamming the duo for thinking they can pick and choose when to conduct interviews.
Both have been selected to represent NSW in State of Origin but will not be doing any media in the build-up to Game I on May 28.
On Monday Blues coach Laurie Daley said there would be no enforcing media on the pair despite requests.
Mitchell has refused to do media all season with no explanation as to why, whereas for Leniu it is believed the media ban is centred around not wanting to discuss his explosive exchange with Johnathan Thurston and the ugly racial slur he directed at Ezra Mam last year.
Whatever the reason, Voss said it was not good enough.
“That’s a lot of rot,” he said on SEN 1170 Breakfast. “That makes me bristle up.
“Latrell’s not doing any media we’re told he wants to concentrate on footy.
“When you get to Origin level you don’t have the right to say ‘I’m not doing media’ it’s part of your job, it’s part of being selected. You can’t just pull that stunt, what if everyone did that?
“What would someone ask Latrell that would get him off his football?
“What is Laurie referring to that would make him uncomfortable?
“When you get to representative football part of your job is doing media whether you like it or not. It’s your job and it’s part of the privilege of selection.”
While acknowledging that some weeks players may need a break from media duties, Voss said players imposing long term media bans is illustrative of an imbalance of power.
“You can’t have lunatics running the asylum,” he continued. “Players don’t rule this.
“You don’t always know what’s going on behind the scenes but is it really that hard to do 10 minutes of media a day?
“If I’m Spencer Leniu and you tell me the two topics you want to talk to me about are Thurston and Ezra Mam, this is how he should be advised to answer the questions: ‘I’m here to play for NSW and that’s my sole focus; I just want to rip in’
“He’s not adding anything to it.”
