Latrell Mitchell’s attitude has ‘infiltrated the team’ as 20yo exposes ugly reality

Jye Gray and Latrell Mitchell.

A 20-year-old rookie has unwittingly exposed South Sydney’s glaring Latrell Mitchell “burden” with calls emerging for a drastic move.

NRL commentator Paul Kent believes the emergence of Jye Gray in an improved Souths display should pressure the club to play Latrell Mitchell in his best position at centre when he returns from suspension.

Gray made a successful debut in Souths’ 34-22 loss to the Sharks and Kent believes the improvement in the side’s effort areas was notable by who wasn’t in the team.

“What was really interesting was that they saw effort,” Kent said on NRL 360.

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“What they’ve rewarded Jason Demetriou with over the weekend is for the first time in six rounds we’ve seen effort out of the Souths. Right, real effort.

“Even though they didn’t win the game, we saw effort throughout the game.

“What’s telling is who wasn’t there when they played. And that’s the question that they won’t go near either. Because you saw blokes get their chance and they went and had a crack.”

Gorden Tallis asked if Kent was alluding to Mitchell not playing against Cronulla.

“What because Latrell didn’t play?” Tallis asked.

“Well, him, he’s part of it and they don’t want to admit that his attitude has infiltrated the team,” Kent said.

Jye Gray and Latrell Mitchell.

“It has just filtered right through it.

“And then finally, a young kid in there gets out and has a go. The other players don’t have the burden of having Latrell in there, who they’ve not been happy with, but no one wants to admit to that.

“And so the first time the team’s had a go, first time all season, they’ve had a crack.

“Are they going to be honest, though, South Sydney? If South Sydney are fair dinkum, when Latrell finally comes back, he comes back in the centre, and that Jye Gray stays at fullback the way it’s going. Because Latrell is a lifetime centre. He’s not the fullback.

“They’ve waited three, four years or more for Latrell to turn into the fullback. And then when he didn’t become the fullback, they said, you know what, he’s not that sort of fullback.

“Well, you know what, today’s game he has to be. You just have to be that sort of fullback.

“You cannot be an eight-run a game fullback in the modern game. You can’t be standing under the post when the opposition score it over in the corner, in the modern game.

“Fullbacks are completely different players than they were 15 years ago.”

Braith Anasta asked Tallis what Mitchell’s best position was, which sparked a debate.

“Gordy, do you see Latrell as a centre?” Anasta asked.

“Yeah, I do, absolutely,” Tallis said.

“They bought him as a premiership winning centre, having eight carries and scoring three tries, being the big power player on the edge, to go on to having 30-carries.

“I don’t like him having all those hit-ups. I think he’s wasted.”

“Those soft runs don’t do anything for him or the team.”

Phil Rothfield agreed the time for Mitchell choosing his position in the team are over.

“When Latrell first joined Souths, he could pick and choose where he wanted to play, because he came with that aura,” Rothfield said.

“And when he walked into the sheds, he said, look, I’m a fullback, that’s why I’ve come here.

“But Latrell has lost that sway he’s held in the place. And it’ll be a very easy decision for Jason Demetriou now to say, look, this boy is going so good that you are playing centre. Full stop, no argument.”

However, Kent warned the situation could be a delicate one given Mitchell’s preference to play fullback.

“I don’t know if it will be an easy decision because there will be pressure from up above to keep their highest paid player happy,” Kent said.

“It’ll be an easy decision,” Rothfield concluded.

Originally published as Latrell Mitchell’s attitude has ‘infiltrated the team’ as 20yo exposes ugly reality