Latrell Mitchell made his triumphant return to State of Origin at the MCG on Wednesday night. The imposing Blues star scored a try, set up another and generally caused problems for the Queensland defence whenever he touched the ball.
Anyone who doubted his place in the team or his ability to influence the result was silenced by his performance. And yet, in a post-match interview in the middle of the MCG he was booed by large sections of the crowd. A closer examination of the way Mitchell went about his business offers a fair insight into why he remains one of rugby league's pantomime villains. It should be noted that Daly Cherry-Evans received the same booing treatment immediately after the Mitchell interview, presumably from a section of the crowd with the opposite allegiances.
Mitchell plays the game hard, takes no prisoners and is not afraid to throw his frame around. He is also guilty of committing acts that many would consider grubby and unnecessary. He often crosses the line between aggressive competitiveness and nasty rubbish.
During Origin II he was seen to shove Reece Walsh over the dead ball line when the ball was well and truly gone. He threw the ball at a Maroons player who was off the field. He was seen yelling into the ears of anyone who made a mistake for Queensland. He ran 20 metres before throwing his entire weight into the mass of players involved in the second melee. He picked Walsh up, dumped him, paused and then dropped his full weight on the prone fullback. And he launched himself at Xavier Coates who had just caught a high ball, collecting his jaw with his forearm in a move that was penalised and placed on report.
It is all very well to play that way, he is not the first to do it and he is certainly not the only one who approaches the game in that fashion right now. But you can't expect to be loved when you continually cross that line.
In a pre-recorded interview with Channel Nine, aired before the game, Mitchell lamented that he was as popular as Reece Walsh when he first burst onto the scene as a prolifically talented youngster. He put the treatment he has since received from fans and the media down to the fact that he wasn't afraid to speak his mind and stand up for causes dear to his heart.
That may well have something to do with it, but incidents like smashing his good mate Joey Manu's face in and this season's elbow to the head of Shaun Johnson stick firm in the memories of fans of other clubs. It is alright to play the villain, but moments like those have also been costly to his own club, through time spent suspended.
After the game Mitchell spoke of how fired up he was for Origin II and how he was only out to impress himself.
"We were on Level 13 and I was looking out my window at the MCG," Mitchell said. "I was dreaming about it for three nights. You know what I mean?
"My first carry I wanted a good carry, and my first carry I wanted to be strong. I did both of those and set the game up. To get in that mentality again, that beast mode, this is my arena and I love it.
"They call me Magic Mitchell, it comes and it goes. Media create doubt for me with fans in that space.
"My goal was just to prove myself right - no one else. I've proven a lot of people wrong already, I'm just here to prove to myself that I've still got it.
"It's a great challenge [to go to Brisbane], they're not going to be easy.
"We had to earn the right, and we did. We just build off that, go back to club land and re-evaluate what we need to do and go to Brissy and have a crack."
One thing Mitchell can be assured of is a very frosty reception from the packed Suncorp Stadium. Like it or not, understand it or not, while he continues to cross the line into grubby behaviour, he will lose more fans than he gains. He should take the boos as a badge of honour, knowing he has upset his opposition and their fans.
Alternatively, he could cut the rubbish out of his game and just play the brilliant football that all fans love to see.