Nicho Hynes is one of Rugby League’s greatest role models

This guy is one of the most remarkable people on the planet.

Not just athletes, but society in general.

Racism in rugby league is still evident. Despite the efforts of many individuals and the NRL itself, Latrell Mitchell appears to be a big target both on and off the field.

Mitchell plays with his heart on his sleeve and is proud of his heritage.

He is among the top ten athletes to have played for Australia in any sport.

Perhaps this is why some think supporting their team warrants racist remarks simply because they are so good.

Mitchell’s mental toughness as an athlete is remarkable, everyone knows it. He’s way ahead in terms of his own confidence that he likes to throw grenades at an opponent because he knows he’ll back it up with results.

However, his strength as a person is far greater.

In recent years it seems that there are supporters of the other 16 teams who believe that racial slurs would somehow affect his game.

Why?

Indeed, he has interrupted games to call them and improved his performances thereafter, but it is his ability right after a game and speaking to the media that shows the greatest strength of all.

He has embraced his status and morphed into a voice, and is consistently doing so.

Latrell, I’m white and you’re a role model for my kids and me and everyone else.

Nicho Hynes, also of Indigenous descent, deserves the same praise.

While going through some well-documented family struggles, he has shown immense support for his pal and the game he loves.

Nicho seems like the type of guy who looked adversity in the eye and said, “I can make a difference.”

In his post-cooldown comments, he also stated that the welfare of the offender should be considered when the rest of us, myself included, want him thrown under the bus.

The person turned out to be 15 years old and Nicho suggested that “he should get the biggest consequences,” to which we all agree.

But he also issued a statement about education and his support network, saying: “It could be a reflection of the people around him or what he was taught in life.”

These are quite remarkable comments from someone who is also in the spotlight, has a team that relies on him, is also a local and clearly has other family issues on his plate.

This is a man of pure heart and mind.

This is a heart person.

Both Latrell and Nicho need support, and if that doesn’t show what leadership is, I don’t know what will.