By Christian Nicolussi, Dan Walsh and Frances Howe
Latrell Mitchell will miss up to the first six rounds of South Sydney’s season after the club was left reeling by a $2 million injury toll from one training session that also resulted in skipper Cameron Murray with a potentially season-ending Achilles rupture.
Murray and Mitchell came from the Rabbitohs Heffron Park training paddock within minutes of each other on Wednesday morning.
South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly confirmed on Thursday morning the superstar No. 1 was facing up to eight weeks out after scans confirmed a tear in his right hamstring.
“Latrell had a scan last night, there’s a slight hamstring strain there,” Solly said.
“He should be back in up to eight weeks time. We’ll work with Latrell, it’s very early days, he’ll start the rehabilitation process, and hopefully he’ll be on the field sooner than [eight weeks]
“Latrell couldn’t have done any more to prepare himself. (Coach) Wayne [Bennett] and I were only remarking [while] watching him move and train last Friday [about] how good he looked, and how fit he looked – his movement was the best we’ve seen from him at the club.
“We were all getting very excited. This is just one step black. It happens in professional sport, and it happens at clubs.
“I’m sure everything he’s done since August last year will stand him in really good stead to get back on the field sooner than later.
“He’s disappointed, but his attention will turn pretty quickly, knowing the ferocious competitor Latrell is, to how quickly can I get back on the field, and what are the things I need to tick off before I get there.”
Mitchell has struggled with hamstring injuries in the past, having torn hamstring tendons in his left leg and missed significant stretches of the 2020 and 2022 seasons.
As for Murray, Solly said: “Cam has an Achilles rupture. He’ll continue to see the surgeon and most likely have surgery. It’s always difficult putting timeframes on Cameron because he’s such a committed competitor, and such a professional.
“One of the great things about Cameron is he’s very resilient, he’s a leader, he loves the sport, and he’ll be already focusing on how quickly he can get back on the field and helping his teammates.”
Jye Gray will replace Mitchell at fullback while newly-re-signed Tallis Duncan or Jai Arrow are the obvious No. 13 candidates for Murray.
Depending on the damage done to Murray’s Achilles, he could be sidelined for the entire season.
South Sydney’s success rate without Mitchell and Murray in the past five seasons is just 40 per cent, according to Champion Data.
Without Mitchell, the Rabbitohs have won just 42 per cent of games since his move from the Roosters in 2020. South Sydney’s win rate without Murray, captain of the club since 2022, is 47.2 per cent.
Souths will play the Charity Shield against St George Illawarra on Saturday. The team bus was parked out the front of Heffron Park, ready to take the players to Mudgee.
South Sydney’s injury woes in the past year have sidelined a number of their best-paid stars, with Campbell Graham, Tevita Tatola, Tyrone Munro and new Dragons halfback Lachlan Ilias barely playing in 2024.
Arrow, Alex Johnston and Shaquai Mitchell missed a significant number of games as well, while Mitchell and Murray sat out a combined 12 matches last year through injury.
The majority of Rabbitohs injuries were broken bones, tendon or joint issues, such as Ilias’ badly fractured leg or Munro’s broken collarbone, while Johnston also suffered a ruptured Achilles.
Luckless centre Campbell Graham’s return from a debilitating sternum injury has been interrupted by a fractured hand, an injury he picked up two weeks ago.
He remains a chance of playing against the Dolphins, while Tatola is also running again after two foot operations and an infection that threatened his career and limited him to the first six games of 2024.
NRL is live and free on Channel 9 & 9Now
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.