Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton have pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from an alleged fight outside a Canberra nightclub.
The NRL star duo faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday, but won't fight their charges until after the season with a three-day hearing slated for October 30.
Canberra five-eighth Wighton is facing charges of fighting in a public place and failing to comply with an exclusion direction, while South Sydney fullback Mitchell is charged with resisting a territory public official, fighting in a public place and failing to comply with an exclusion direction.
The two Australian World Cup stars were celebrating Wighton's 30th birthday when the incident occurred.
A photo posted by Latrell Mitchell his Instagram story of the pair on Saturday night. Source: Instagram
Both will start the NRL season next week with the code's integrity unit already indicating they wouldn't rule on any punishment before their criminal matter wraps up.
They both had their bail varied to remove all conditions, Mitchell's lawyer arguing the South Sydney star was "not likely to abscond" and the bail conditions police had imposed were "entirely unnecessary".
Each will be fine to start the NRL season next week with the code's integrity unit already indicating it wouldn't rule on any punishment to the duo before their criminal matter wraps up.
'Every story has two sides and we're gonna defend Latrell's'
Mitchell's lawyer Tom Taylor commented briefly after the duo left court, saying the fullback's version of events would be defended.
"Latrell has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Because he's pleaded not guilty it would be inappropriate to talk about the case in any great detail," he told reporters.
"Every story has two sides and we're gonna defend Latrell's."
Witnesses of the brawl told 7News that the pair were "just mucking around and having a little bit of a laugh" at the time of the so-called fight.
They also noted that the police were "really brutal" and said it was "unnecessary" for there to be so many officers involved in the arrest.
"[They] ripped him across the road and then just all jumped on him and tackled him for no reason at all," the witness said.
NRL Canberra Raiders player Jack Wighton (R) and South Sydney Rabbitohs player Latrell Mitchell (L) leave the ACT Magistrates Court, Canberra. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas/AAP Image
Earlier this month, Wighton reflected on what he'd learned from the incident ahead of the NRL All-Stars game, including the consequences of "putting yourself in vulnerable positions".
"If we weren't on the town, it doesn't happen. We've got to be smarter than that. I've got to be smarter," he said.
"I am older than Latrell and should have probably taken responsibility earlier and not let us go to town."
