‘I don’t need riling up’: Radley’s words of warning for Latrell

Victor Radley wasn’t surprised to see Latrell Mitchell insist he will not change his aggressive on-field game for anyone, but warned his former teammate not to fall into the same trap he did last year.

Radley spent eight weeks on the sideline for two separate suspensions last year, and conceded on Wednesday he used to let the judiciary “rile” him up before matches.

Victor Radley felt he let the Roosters down last season because of his suspensions.Credit:NRL Photos

While he wouldn’t follow Mitchell’s lead in condemning the match review process, Radley urged the Souths superstar to tread warily if he thinks the game is out to get him.

“I was saying a similar thing when I got suspended,” Radley said when asked about Mitchell.

“He is entitled to his opinion or whatever he wants to feel. I don’t think anyone was going to think he was going to stop playing aggressively. It’s no news to us. It is what it is, it will be good to play against him.

“In the past, I have let that stuff get to me, think about it before the game. I am in a really good headspace and [I’m] really comfortable with where I am at, at the moment.

“I just don’t really think about that stuff, because I have worked out I don’t need riling up.

“I don’t need to be thinking about it two weeks before a game because it’s not going to be good for anyone. I just worry about myself and working hard and being really clear and confident.”

Radley plays with as much aggression as Mitchell, and won’t back down either.

“I didn’t need to change my aggression, but I have a lot of stuff to work on,” he said.

“Mostly it’s around my footwork, which is stuff I have been working on for years. Not over-striding and getting myself into positions where I can’t make split second decisions and it ends badly.

“I have been working really hard on that, especially with my knee, just keeping my feet short and stuff like that.”

The suspensions meant Radley felt like he wasn’t pulling his weight at times last season.

While many of his teammates view him as a leader, Radley simply wants to repay coach Trent Robinson and the rest of the Roosters hierarchy, who had his back throughout the suspensions.

“I spoke last year about how I wanted to be a leader, and I didn’t really do that,” he said.

“I am looking forward to paying a bit back. I didn’t really hold my weight last year. Hopefully, I have worked hard enough and am in a good position to really pay back a bit.

“I didn’t start until round three or four because of my knee [injury]. And then I missed five weeks, missed another three. And then with all the injuries we had going on, it was really hard for me to sit on the sideline fit with all the injuries we had.”

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