NRL 2022: Latrell Mitchell earns lavish praise from US trainer Bill Knowles, eyes return for Blues
The US training guru who worked with Latrell Mitchell believes the Souths star has the physical qualities to make it in American football, but the fullback is focused on a return for the Blues.
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The American trainer who worked with Latrell Mitchell has described the South Sydney star as an exceptional athlete and claimed he has the physical qualities to make it in American football.
Bill Knowles, the Philadelphia-based training guru who has worked with some of the best athletes in the world, spent two weeks helping Mitchell work his way back from knee and hamstring injuries.
He walked away impressed with Mitchell’s athleticism and dedication.
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“Latrell was a total professional during the two-week camp,” Knowles said. “I found him exceptionally athletic. He picked up all activities, games, and skills very fast.
“Super athlete. Like I said, he was a total professional the entire camp. He handled it extremely well physically and was a student of the process.
“He has many of the same qualities of the other star athlete who have come through my training centre. That is why he has achieved what he has already achieved.”
Asked whether Mitchell had the capacity to make it in the NFL, Knowles said: “There is no question Latrell has the physical capacity to play American football but, of course, he would be significantly behind in the technical and tactical, which takes years to develop at professional level.”
Knowles declined to comment on the specifics of Mitchell’s injury but said he was in good position to avoid injury in the future. That’s good news for both Souths and NSW — Mitchell has already declared he wants to be ready for the second game of the State of Origin series.
“Unfortunately I cannot comment on specifics of January but he was trying to get a very good level and will continue that level in the weeks to come,” Knowles said.
“His team will take up at this point and I will continue to advise as necessary.
“As with all lower extremity injuries, we were able with Latrell to really focus on the fundamentals to properly accelerate and decelerate and change direction.
“With this mindset and with his team members, that should put him in a good position to reduce the risk of injury. That said you can never (totally) eliminate the risk of injury in sport.”
Mitchell injury update great news for Blues
-David Riccio, Fatima Kdouh
Win or lose NSW is on the verge of a major victory.
Queensland’s worst nightmare, a fit and firing Latrell Mitchell, is edging closer to a comeback with the South Sydney star set to return to training on Monday.
If Mitchell manages to complete everything that is asked of him throughout next week, he could play his first game in two months against the Titans on the Gold Coast next Saturday.
Of more significance is that if Mitchell fires, he could come into consideration for State of Origin II in Perth on June 26.
The 24-year-old’s stellar performances for NSW, which includes six tries in seven appearances, would make him impossible to ignore.
Mitchell is back in Sydney following a stint in the US, where he worked with a Philadelphia-based miracle worker Bill Knowles, who has rejuvenated the careers of the biggest names in world sport.
In addition to the repair of his hamstring tendon issue, the 24-year-old underwent knee surgery during the two months that he’s been sidelined.
On his return to Sydney, Mitchell said he couldn’t wait to get back to training with his Rabbitohs teammates.
NSW hooker and Rabbitohs teammate Damien Cook believes Mitchell will be the catalyst to reinvigorating the eighth-placed South Sydney‘s season.
“It’s been good to see him enjoying himself over there (US) because we know he’s been ripping into his training,’’ Cook said.
“I’ve got no doubt he’s going to have an impact.
“He’s one of those players who hates sitting on the sidelines, he feels like he’s letting the team down when he’s not playing and he’ll be ready to come back firing.
“I hope the plan is that he comes straight back into the team.
“It will be great to have him back for Titans and I mean great for everyone. Great for Cody (Walker) and great for myself.
“His presence on the field gives you a lot of confidence.
“It could be perfect timing just after we had a good win against the Tigers and that we will get another boost with Latrell coming back.
“Hopefully this is the start of our season as far as consistency goes.
“We’re not worried where we are on the table, but we’re just frustrated because we know we’re better than that.’’
Blues coach Brad Fittler has been forced to select Jack Wighton and Kotoni Staggs in the centres due to the unavailability of Tom Trbojevic (shoulder) and Mitchell for Origin I.
BLUES ROOKIE READY TO HANDLE BIG JUMP TO ORIGIN
- By Fatima Kdouh
Towering NSW rookie Stephen Crichton made sure to get some “extras” under the high ball at Blues training on Thursday as the Blues showed they are more than capable of countering Queensland’s aerial assault.
Despite speculation he could swap with centre Jack Wighton, the 193cm Crichton is set to make his Blues debut from the bench.
The Blues are expecting Queensland to deploy an aerial assault using their tall wing combination in Selwyn Cobbo (190cm) and Xavier Coates (194cm) next week.
On Thursday, Fittler called time on a two-hour field session at Sydney Olympic Park with the Blues’ tall timber, in Crichton and Daniel Tupou, stepping aside to do some extra aerial work practising their bomb diffusal.
As their teammates tended to their media commitments, Roosters duo Tupou and Joseph Suaalii grabbed a few football and made their way to the corner of the training field.
Suaalii then spent the rest of the session putting high bombs up for Tupou, whose height at 196 centimetres helped him earn selection ahead of Canterbury speedster Josh Addo-Carr.
On the other side of the field, Penrith teammates Crichton and Jarome Luai did a similar thing, with the Panthers five-eighth kicking bomb after bomb for the centre.
Halfback Nathan Cleary told News Corp that Crichton’s fearlessness will hold him in good stead against any Maroons bomb attack.
“He’ll do a good job under the high ball,” Cleary said.
“Any position you chuck him in, he’ll do a good job at it.
“I don’t think he is afraid of anything, he’s a confident guy … that’s the beauty of ‘Critta’, he can cover a number of positions.
“It’s awesome he is here. People forget that Critta is only 21 and he has been around a little while now. He’s been fortunate enough to play in some big games, I’m super pumped for him. I think he’ll do a great job.”
Despite the chatter that Crichton would start in game one, Brian To’o, who will have a height disadvantage on Wednesday night, and Wighton trained on the left edge.
Kotoni Staggs and Tupou trained on the right side of the field.
Crichton insisted he would be playing off the bench next week and that the No.14 role was not completely unfamiliar having played a handful of games as utility back in early 2020.
“I’m heaps excited,” the Panthers star said.
“I actually played a bit of 14 at the start of my career for Penrith, coming off the bench in the second half … I honestly don’t know how he (Fittler) is going to use me but once I get on there, it’s all hands on deck and I plan to go as hard as I can for as long as I can.
“I definitely want to use that opportunity that I have been given, no matter where I play.”
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