Latrell Mitchell to miss two months after scans confirm fears of serious hamstring strain

The fallout from Wednesday’s injury news for South Sydney has taken a brutal turn after Latrell Mitchell copped some bad news.

South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly has backed a couple of the club’s rising stars to step up after scans confirmed Latrell Mitchell is facing up to two months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

It’s a crushing blow after losing skipper Cam Murray for the majority of the season to a ruptured achilles tendon, both injuries happening in a horror training session on Wednesday.

Mitchell is also facing up to eight weeks out of the game after a scan on Wednesday night showed a slight strain to his right hamstring, the same one he injured in 2022.

It’s a cruel blow for the superstar fullback who has stunned his teammates at training in the pre-season and was primed to have his best year at the Rabbitohs after a frustrating 2024 campaign that featured injuries and suspensions.

“Latrell couldn’t have done any more to prepare himself,” Solly said.



South Sydney's Cam Murray and Latrell Mitchell are both out for extended periods.

“Wayne and I were only remarking watching him move and train last Friday how good he looked and how fit he looked, and his movement was probably the best we’ve seen from him at the club, so we were all getting very excited.

“This is just one setback and it happens in professional sport, so the sooner we can get him back on the field (the better). I’m sure everything he has done since last August will stand him in really good stead to get back on the field sooner rather than later.”

Murray spoke recently about how focused he was on turning things around at the club following their horror 2024 campaign, with positive vibes around the place under new coach Wayne Bennett.

But Wednesday’s disastrous training session is a hammer blow to the club and its fans, with the inspirational skipper now set for a lengthy rehab program, with his return date unclear given he’ll push himself to be back this season.

“He’s had a rotten run with injury so like anyone in this position, he’s a bit disappointed,” Solly said.

“One of the great things about Cameron is that he’s resilient, he’s a leader and he loves the sport so he’ll be focusing on when he can get back on the field and help his teammates.”

Jye Gray will get his chance. Picture: NRL Photos

The injury to Mitchell opens the door for the diminutive Jye Gray to start at fullback on the back of his breakout season, while the recently re-signed Tallis Duncan will likely start at lock.

“It’s a great opportunity for guys like Jye Gray and Tallis Duncan who started to show us last year that they’re not only NRL players, but they’re very good NRL players,” Solly said.

“They’ll get some more time now to establish themselves in the NRL team. I can’t wait to see more of them.”

Meanwhile, the Sharks have suffered a major blow with winger Sione Katoa set to miss up to five months after he underwent a shoulder reconstruction to fix an injury he suffered in the trial game against the Warriors.

Sam Stonestreet is his most likely replacement, but it’ll be tough to cover a guy who had the fourth-most tackle breaks last year.