Gagai and Mitchell's old rivalry flares in Newcastle upset
Dane Gagai said he refused to back down from Latrell Mitchell in their clash during Newcastle's 20-10 win in Friday's finals opener.
Dane Gagai and Latrell Mitchell renewed their decade-long rivalry on Friday night as Newcastle pulled off a dramatic upset, beating South Sydney 20-10 at Allianz Stadium. Gagai, at 35, said the running battle between the former Rabbitohs teammates never crossed into misconduct.
"Nah, it was just heat of the moment between us," Gagai said of the clash. "Mitchell was sticking up for his teammate, and I wasn't going to let him push me around," he continued.
The two men embraced after the game. Gagai said he was not looking to target Mitchell personally but had to match the intensity of a "superstar of the game" and big-game player.
Gagai will join Brisbane next year after a 16-year NRL career. He plays his best football when facing world-class opposition, he said, and competing against elite players "bring the best out of you".
- Newcastle 20, South Sydney 10
- Final score
- 35
- Gagai's age
- Over a decade
- Rivalry length
- 16 years
- Gagai's NRL career
Why it mattersThe clash between two seasoned rivals on a grand finals stage shows the intensity of NRL finals footy and the respect between fierce competitors.
AustraliaThis is part of the Australian NRL finals story that Australian rugby league fans follow closely.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 12 d ago
