Found this on reddit. Hits the nail on the head.
“People are quick to point out 'his a grub', but that doesn't explain it. JWH and Radley games yesterday were not really out of character, but even though they are playing for a team that's unpopular amongst neutrals, they still don't get the hate Latrell gets.
Latrell is aggressive and cocky.. people use that as an excuse, but it's not out of the ordinary for backs, especially Centre's (which he was for a long time). Zac Lomax has a lot of the Same qualities but doesn't get the hate for example.
Latrell is largely unchanged from when he played for us. He was always 'cocky and grub'. But things changed halfway through his final year.
Around this time, 2 things happened. 1st he said he wants to stand up against racism like Adam Goodes did. He had been a victim of it himself and he wasn't going to lay down. At the same time Cody walker said he wasn't going to sing the anthem. Latrell through his support behind that.
Almost immediately the media turned on him. It was ruthless. He was the Games premier outside back, but then suddenly he wasn't good enough for origin after one quite game. He went home due to some deaths in the family and now 'he goes walkabout and lacks commitment'. A sponsor loaned him a car, now his up himself for driving a Mercedes. He wanted to go to another club to play fullback because Teddy was blocking his path at the Roosters suddenly 'who the **** does this guy think he is'. He did an nrl ad with an Aboriginal flag on his back, suddenly his 'throwing his aboriginality in our face'. Every minor thing he did was suddenly an offence. It's all a part of a bigger culture war that the media, but especially News ltd, play. A lot of racists definitely pumped it up. But the average footy fan doesn't see that, and sadly a lot of footy fans are easily lead by media agenda's in the game. Look at Gus. A great footy mind with a passion for the game, but he was a huge enemy of News Ltd from the super league days, Gus played a huge role in super league not winning the war, so there was a huge smear campaign against Gould and its worked. People hate Gould despite usually agreeing with him. Media propaganda is a huge thing. So there's a lot of racism driving the smear of Latrell, but people can't see it. Not only that, because they've been conditioned to hate him, they have to defend themselves against the cleary racist agenda driven at him. I'm not saying people booing/hating latrell are racists for from it, but they are being unwittingly influenced by people that definitely are. So when that's pointed out they double down. They double down on the intangibles that aren't racist.
Latrell is a Grub! (Well yea, but not at a higher level to warrant the hate)
Latrell is up himself (dudes actually very humble for a football player, but is confident like a lot of elite players, not enough to warrant the hate)
Latrell is always out of postion (shows a try where latrell no where in defence to prove their point, when shown examples of Tedesco, Gutherson and Edwards doing the same that's different somehow)
He's a flat track bully pumps his chest when beating bad teams (ignores that he has had huge big games, from finals, Origins and GFs and has pumped his chest in those games to).
He hit Manu with a deliberate attack to his head ( it wasn't deliberate. Anyone who thinks that is a moron. It was bad tackle but there have been many similar to it over the years )
I could go on and on.
It's a cycle of racism driving the attacks, and genuinely non-racist people unable to admit they are influenced so continually trying to find ways to legitimise that extreme hate. If he was hated on the same level as Munster or Lomax I'd understand, but the fact that the hatred for him goes beyond the hate for wife beaters, Bigots and genuinely horrible people shows it's complex.”
