Joey’s warning as Latrell heads to NRL open market
Updated . First published at
Andrew Johns has issued a warning to Latrell Mitchell after news the superstar will test his value on the NRL market come November 1.
Mitchell has just one season remaining on his lucrative South Sydney contract, which is said to be worth upwards of $1 million a year.
Latrell Mitchell following the loss to Newcastle. Getty Images
He’s still only 29 years old, is a two-time premiership winner and one of the game’s most destructive and influential players when fit and firing.
But injuries have dogged him in recent years and he’s played just 34 NRL games in the past three seasons.
He started this year with a bang before a back issue sidelined him for most of the season. He made it back for the last three games but couldn’t inspire the Rabbitohs to a win over Newcastle come finals, and was largely shown up by his veteran rival Dane Gagai.
Even when he was playing consistently in the early rounds, coach Wayne Bennett bumped him to centre in favour of using Jye Gray and then Mat Dufty at fullback.
Before joining South Sydney in 2020, Mitchell quit the Roosters because he was being blocked from his favoured No.1 spot by superstar James Tedesco.
Johns says if Mitchell leaves the Bunnies now, he likely won’t be playing fullback again.
“He did leave the Roosters to play fullback at South Sydney,” the eighth Immortal said on Nine’s 100% Footy.
“He wouldn’t be playing fullback if he goes to another club (now), it would purely be that left centre position.”
Mitchell played all his games this year at centre after Bennett convinced him to make the switch back to the flank.
As to what Mitchell might be able to earn at a different NRL club, the introduction of the Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs to the competition is muddying the player market.
Mitchell will join the likes of fellow superstars Nathan Cleary, Sam Walker, and Cameron Munster to come off contract on November 1 and Paul Gallen can’t blame them for testing the waters.
“I suppose with these new franchises coming in, players want to know their worth,” Gallen said on 100% Footy.
“I imagine Latrell is on a decent wicket there at South Sydney, and he has been a great player for them, but I guess he wants to test his worth.
“I can sort of understand players wanting to do it at the moment, with these new teams coming in.
“He left the Roosters to go to South Sydney, which is their arch enemy. So if the money is big enough (he could leave).”
