NSW coach Brad Fittler backs NRL stars Jack Wighton and Latrell Mitchell to put alleged altercation behind them

The pair were arrested following an alleged incident outside a Civic nightclub in the early hours of Sunday.

Canberra five-eighth Wighton was hit with two charges, while South Sydney's Mitchell attracted three charges, including affray.

The pair are close friends and were out celebrating Wighton's 30^th birthday when the incident occurred.

The alleged altercation could not have come at a worse time for the NRL and their clubs, with the season just a month away.

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Canberra were preparing to play their first pre-season trial against the Bulldogs in Moruya next weekend, with both Wighton and Mitchell due to feature in the Indigenous All Stars clash in Rotorua on Saturday.

Their status for the representative fixture is up in the air while the NRL Integrity Unit investigates.

The incident threatens to overshadow a clash that was already reeling from a spate of withdrawals by high-profile players.

The likes of Josh Addo-Carr, Joseph Manu and Nelson Asofa-Solomona are among the players to pull out in recent days due to injury.

This is not the first time Wighton and Mitchell have appeared in the headlines for the wrong reasons, with Mitchell hit with a massive fine by the NRL for breaching COVID lockdown in 2020.

He was at the centre of an acrimonious split from the Roosters and joined their bitter rivals South Sydney ahead of the 2020 season.

Wighton has also has a chequered history and admitted in 2019 he was on his last chance with the Raiders.

The five-eighth had been involved in an incident in Civic that saw him plead guilty to five counts of assault and one count of public urination. He narrowly avoided jail time, was fined $30,000 and suspended for 10 games by the NRL for the February 2018 incident.

Fittler has coached both Wighton and Mitchell at State of Origin level in recent years, dropping Mitchell during the 2019 series.

The pair have since repaired their relationship and the Rabbitohs star has returned to the NSW fold to become a key figure in the Blues set-up.

Fittler has watched Wighton and Mitchell put controversy behind them in the past and is confident the incident won't derail the start to their seasons.

"They're good guys, great players ... been through a bit of adversity in the past and will come through this," Fittler said.

The Raiders released a brief statement following the arrest.

"The Canberra Raiders have been made aware of an alleged incident involving Jack Wighton last night in Canberra," the club said.

"The club has informed the NRL integrity unit and is cooperating with ACT police."

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