Braith Anasta has revealed that he and Latrell Mitchell are on good terms following their frosty spat at a fancy Sydney restaurant last year.
But the Fox Footy pundit revealed he had become worried that the South Sydney Rabbitohs star’s anger could tip over the edge.
The pair found themselves in the spotlight after Mitchell is understood to have confronted the NRL 360 host at Chin Chin, an Asian fusion restaurant located in Sydney’s Surry Hills last May.
Anasta, 43, had been critical of Mitchell’s recent form, with the South Sydney star having believed some of the broadcaster’s critics to have been too personal.
Mitchell had approached the former Sydney Roosters star, who was dining with a friend.
Both stood firm on their opinions and agreed to disagree and it is reported that the pair continued their disagreement in private, but the stand-off did not turn physical, despite Anasta revealing he had feared tempers could flare.
Braith Anasta (pictured) has lifted the lid on his frosty spat with footy star Latrell Mitchell
The NRL 360 pundit said there was no bad blood between he and Mitchell (pictured)
‘I was thinking in my head, I can’t let him land the first one because I’ll be gone, because he’s a beast,” Anasta said to The Daily Telegraph.
‘I’d be lying if I said at some point, I didn’t think it might happen. I can understand what he was going through and I can understand how frustrating it is when people have an opinion and you just want to play footy.’
But it appears the pair have made amends since.
‘Okay, let me get something clear here – before I tell it, me and Latrell are fine,’ the former Roosters five-eighth explained.
Their disagreement came after the Rabbitohs had complained to Fox chiefs that NRL 360 had been unfair on their stars.
Anasta’s criticisms came as the Rabbitohs slumped to the bottom of the ladder in 2024, following a dismal season that saw the Bunnies lose nine matches.
Anasta, meanwhile, told his version of events from that evening in the restaurant, arguing that Mitchell could have called him and he would have happily addressed his complaints over the phone.
‘It’s not about putting shit on him. I don’t want that. But what actually happened was, I finished NRL360 and … by Wednesday night, I just want to have a beer, and have something to eat and just relax,’ the 43-year-old said.
The pair stepped outside the restaurant as Mitchell confronted Anasta (pictured) over his criticisms of the NRL star on NRL 360
Anasta, who had coached Mitchell in the U20s, claimed he ‘always had a good relationship’ with the Rabbitohs star.
But he revealed he had not had a chance to order, before Mitchell had approached him, to voice his grip.
‘He goes: “No, no, no, no. I’m sick of you having a crack at me on 360, yada, yada, yada”. I’m thinking: “Is he joking here, or is he serious?”
‘And he goes: “Let’s go outside”. By that point, people are looking at us, right? It’s the middle of Chin Chin’s. It’s a busy night. I thought, I need to de-escalate this, or at the very least, I need to get this out of this restaurant, right?’
‘We go out the front and he just lays, he lays into me, right? He’s standing over the top of me and he’s having his whack.
“I’m like, man, okay, slow down. Because there was nothing making sense. It was just abuse. I said: “Mate, what am I doing that isn’t right? Is there something that I’m wrong with? Can you just explain to me what you’re angry with?”
‘They were coming last at the time. I don’t know if it was a week or two before, but I’d shown some vision of him at fullback.’
Anasta explained: ‘There were just a few instances where I thought he could be better.
Anasta claimed that Mitchell (pictured) was understood to have told the broadcaster that he was ‘sick of him having a crack at me’
‘In that instant, he was over the top of me. I didn’t back down at all. I gave as good as I got.’
During an episode of the program, Anasta had questioned why Mitchell was playing fullback.
‘You look at the great fullbacks in our game … they are there before the play is there,’ he said.
‘They pre-empt it, they are moving before the ball goes, they are on their bike.
‘Latrell … he gets caught out a lot in defence, he’s very rarely in the frame at the last second when there’s a try or when he’s got an opportunity to save a try.
‘That’s where he needs to improve. That comes down to fitness… and being one of those high-energy fullbacks. He plays differently.’
But a year-on from that incident, Mitchell is currently playing out of his skin for the Rabbitohs and was a stand-out during last Wednesday’s State of Origin opener.
Mitchell notably set up Brian To’o for the try of the match, utilising his exceptional handling skills to find the flying NSW winger on his outside for the Blues’ second score of the match.For the Bunnies, Mitchell has five try assists across seven appearances so far this season, while he has also touched down twice himself, amassing a goal-conversion rate of 87 per cent.
