Monday Buzz: Latrell Mitchell’s struggles not all of his own making
A park football coach would have known star recruit Latrell Mitchell was not ready to play fullback in the early rounds of the competition, writes PHIL ROTHFIELD.
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The similarities with Latrell Mitchell’s current plight are remarkable.
When Greg Inglis played only his second game for South Sydney back in 2011, we were all bagging him for being overweight and unfit.
Your columnist can still remember the round two game against the Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium that year. He played in the centres and was absolutely carved up by Jamal Idris.
I wrote on these pages the next morning: “Greg Inglis is struggling big time at the South Sydney Rabbitohs and looks nothing like the superstar we’ve seen over the years in Storm, Queensland and Kangaroo jerseys. Idris made Inglis look fat and 40.”
In hindsight it was ridiculous to be attacking him after two games.
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Like Latrell and his tumultuous departure from the Sydney Roosters, Inglis didn’t want to leave Melbourne Storm. He was forced out by the salary cap scandal.
At least Johnny Lang played him in the centres and didn’t expose him as much at fullback.
Inglis was 24. Latrell is 22. His struggles in the first two rounds are not all of his own making.
A month ago I wrote that super coach Wayne Bennett was reaching his use-by date.
The club even agreed and then announced the 70-year-old would be finishing up at the end of next season to allow his sidekick Jason Demetriou to take over.
Bennett’s handling of Latrell is further proof of what your columnist was getting at.
A park football coach would have known the superstar centre was not ready to play fullback in the early rounds of the competition.
Nowhere near ready.
It has exposed Mitchell to a barrage of criticism from three of the most respected voices in the game in recent days — Phil Gould, Cooper Cronk and Greg Alexander.
This didn’t need to happen.
The moment Latrell was dragged from the field against the Cronulla Sharks after 56 minutes in round one showed the football world that this was a major coaching blunder.
That he should have started the season in the centres, worked hard on his fitness, and then considered a possible switch to fullback midway through the season.
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It has also unbalanced the Rabbitohs’ bench by having to carry an extra fullback/outside back.
To appreciate Latrell’s value is easy. Look at the Sydney Roosters without him — they haven’t won a game.
They probably would not have won last year’s grand final against the Raiders without the pass that led to James Tedesco’s try.
Remember this too.
Latrell had no club after the grand final and virtually no off-season.
There is a message in all of this. Be patient. We’ve had two games. You don’t wins comps in March.
He is a genuine superstar of the game and will come good.
He’s just got to work harder and get fitter.