Souths could look to move under-fire Latrell Mitchell back to centres if fullback stint doesn’t work out
Sam Burgess says Souths aren’t tied down to keeping Latrell Mitchell at fullback if he continues to struggle. ‘If the demand is too much then let’s play him in the centres. I want to see him be happy.’
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Following a string of controversies, South Sydney assistant Sam Burgess says Latrell Mitchell may be switched back to the centres to help him “smile again”.
Mitchell’s well-being has come under the spotlight after making headlines for the wrong reasons, prompting Rabbitohs captain Adam Reynolds to compare media scrutiny surrounding the NRL star to that endured by Michael Jordan.
Reynolds claimed his teammate had been “harrassed” by the media after copping criticism over drawn out contract talks, a fullback switch and his infamous camping trip which breached social distancing laws.
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Ex-skipper Burgess said after welcoming Mitchell back to training this week ahead of the May 28 NRL re-start they still planned to feature the game breaker at fullback.
But Burgess hinted that an eventual switch back to the centres may be in the besieged Mitchell’s best interests.
“(Coach) Wayne (Bennett) says he is going to be fullback, but at the end of the day we have to do what is best for Latrell, what Latrell wants,” Burgess told Fox League’s The Late Show.
“If the demand is too much for him at fullback then let’s play him in the centres, let’s make him smile again and be happy.”
Former Brisbane captain Justin Hodges - who played under Wayne Bennett - said Mitchell had the right mentor to guide him out of his tough period but admitted a positional change may also help.
“He’s got the right coach there who can take the punches for him. He just needs to figure out where he fits in the game, whether it be centre or fullback,” Hodges told Fox League Live.
“He’s just got to get back to enjoying his football.”
Former NRL star Braith Anasta believed Mitchell would be in a “dark place” but it was up to him to fix it.
“Every sportsperson is going to go through adversity, it is how you respond to that,” he told Fox League Live.
“It comes down to your resilience and that is what he needs to improve on.”
Former Sydney Roosters teammate Cooper Cronk backed Mitchell to prove his critics wrong.
“When you go through a tough spot in your career there’s only way you can get out of it - find your reason why (you play),” he said.
“Prove people wrong, work for your teammates, provide for your family - whatever that reason is, hone in on it.
“Get up at 5am, go to bed at 7pm with that singular focus of getting yourself out of it.”
Reynolds likens Latrell ‘bashing’ to Michael Jordan
South Sydney halfback Adam Reynolds has compared the media “bashing” of Latrell Mitchell to that he says Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan received in his prime and warned it could force him out of the NRL.
Speaking after the Rabbitohs returned to training on Wednesday, Reynolds criticised the ongoing headlines around the 22-year-old who faces firearm charges and was recently fined by the NRL for breaching strict social distancing guidelines.
The Souths No.7 likened Mitchell’s situation to that of Jordan in the popular Bulls documentary The Last Dance, currently screening on Netflix in Australia.
Jordan first quit basketball in 1993 following the murder of his father James, saying he had lost the passion for the game, before undertaking a failed baseball stint with the Chicago White Sox.
His Airness made a comeback in 1995 and then walked away again in 1998 after the Bulls won their sixth NBA championship, on the back of coach Phil Jackson being moved on.
Jordan then returned for a brief stint with the Washington Wizards in 2001.
Jordan had faced media scrutiny around his excessive gambling and his perceived selfish play early in his career.
Reynolds compared the hype surrounding Jordan to what Mitchell has been going through since the 2019 Roosters premiership hero first revealed he was looking to test his worth on the open market.
“I think we need to give Latrell a rest,” Reynolds said. “The media keep bashing him up.
“I don’t know if you’ve watched the documentary on the Chicago Bulls and what they did to Jordan
“They almost lost him to the game. Or pretty much did.
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“And I would hate to see us lose Latrell to all this media pressure.
“From what I’ve heard there were reporters at his front door the other day. Latrell has just had a baby, his wife is there with another young child, and he’s constantly hounded.
“At the end of the day, he’s a human being. We need to give him some space.”
Asked if he was concerned Mitchell could walk, Reynolds suggested a strong family and support group was helping him block out the ongoing attention.
“But again, he’s a human being and if you keep knocking him, if you keep chasing him everywhere he goes than that can have an effect on anyone,” Reynolds said.
“It happened to Michael Jordan and he was at the pinnacle of all sports.
“Latrell is a young kid and yeah he has made some mistakes but he’s constantly scrutinised by the media and I think is unfair.”
Asked to elaborate on the unfairness, Reynolds continued: “He’s a young kid who is on the front page of the paper five of seven days in the week.
“If it was another player in his situation, they wouldn’t be on the front page.
“It’s because his name is Latrell Mitchell.
“We know he’s a high profile player but he has to have his space as well.
“I don’t think it’s fair that journos turn up to his front door and harass him and his family home.
“There is no privacy in that and I believe it crosses the boundary.”
The South Sydney halfback, who has a tattoo of Michael Jordan on his leg, said the Bunnies playing group were also working hard to keep their newest recruit happy and focused on his return to the game.
“We just cheer him up at training,” he said.
“Latrell has a newborn baby so I don’t know how much sleep he’s getting at home but he has great family and great support.
“Then when he comes in here he is one of us so we look after him and make sure he’s doing alright.”
Originally published as Souths could look to move under-fire Latrell Mitchell back to centres if fullback stint doesn’t work out