Canberra Raider Jack Wighton, South Sydney Rabbitoh Latrell Mitchell plead not guilty over Fiction nightclub incident

But the charges will hang over their heads throughout the forthcoming football season, with their hearing still more than eight months away.

The NSW Blues teammates travelled to and from the ACT Magistrates Court together on Wednesday, when they both pleaded not guilty to charges of fighting in a public place.

Canberra Raiders five-eighth Wighton, 30, also denied failing to comply with an exclusion direction, while South Sydney fullback Mitchell, 25, pleaded not guilty to affray and resisting a public official.

Police allege the pair were involved in "a disturbance" near Fiction nightclub, in Civic, while celebrating Wighton's 30th birthday in the early hours of February 5.

Officers arrested the pair about 3.45am and took them to the city watch house, where they were charged and granted police bail.

Mitchell's barrister, Jack Pappas, took aim at the police bail conditions in court on Wednesday, saying they were "entirely unnecessary" and asking that his client simply be required to appear at the hearing.

Wighton's solicitor, Maarten Vlot, adopted that submission, which prosecutor Sam Bargwanna did not oppose.

Magistrate James Stewart accordingly removed the police bail conditions imposed on both men.

Mr Stewart ultimately listed the pair's joint hearing to commence on October 30, a few weeks into the next NRL off-season.

The court heard all the lawyers involved in the case expected the hearing to take two or three days.

Outside court, Mitchell's solicitor, Tom Taylor, told reporters it would be "inappropriate to talk about the case in any great detail".

"Every story has two sides and we're gonna defend Latrell's," Mr Taylor said.

Mitchell and Wighton have previously declined to comment on the charges, but the pair have expressed "remorse for putting ourselves in the position to embarrass our clubs and the NRL".

They indicated they had engaged in a friendly "wrestle" with each other outside the nightclub.

"We were there to celebrate Jack's 30th with family and friends," they said in a joint statement issued by their manager the day after their arrests.

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"While everyone enjoyed a great night, we understand that our wrestle, as harmless as we believed it to be, was a poor decision and may have looked bad.

"We are sorry for this, and know that we need to be better when in public.

"We remain great friends."

The duo's respective clubs previously said the matter had been reported to the NRL integrity unit, which has allowed the pair to continue playing while the court case is ongoing.

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