Latrell Mitchell ruled out for the rest of NRL season

South Sydney will be forced to win the premiership without Latrell Mitchell after scans on his hamstring revealed he would require surgery.

Eels players commiserate with Latrell Mitchell after Thursday’s game at Bankwest Stadium

South Sydney will be forced to win the premiership without Latrell Mitchell after scans on his hamstring revealed he would require surgery to reattach the tendon to the bone.

The news shapes as a savage blow to the Rabbitohs’ title hopes, Mitchell having run himself into rampant form in recent weeks as Souths have strung together a series of wins that put them back in the premiership race.

Alex Johnston is due to return from concussion next week and is likely to slot in at fullback, although coach Wayne Bennett also has Corey Allan at his disposal.

Latrell Mitchell is attended to by a trainer after suffering a hamstring injury

The good news is South should have Dane Gagai back next week as well from a hamstring injury but there is no replacing a player of Mitchell’s ilk, who will now miss four to five months.

Having had a slow start to the season at fullback, he has been among the game’s most dominant players over the past month as Souths have put themselves back in the premiership picture.

His absence will see them drift in betting and Bennett will need all his nous to keep his side on course as they digest the loss of arguably their most potent attacking player.

Mitchell has had four try assists and seven line break assists in his past five games, putting together his best run of form since joining Souths.

Latrell Mitchell’s legs awkwardly split in the tackle that ended his season

NRL and the Rabbitohs must now find a way to replace a player who had overcome a difficult start to put himself back in the mix for State of Origin selection.

Mitchell damaged the hamstring in the second half of the club’s 38-0 win over Parramatta on Thursday night and the club was hopeful he would be back at some stage during the year.

However, the Rabbitohs received the results of scans on Friday afternoon confirming his season had come to a premature end.

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Rabbitohs players had spoken earlier in the day about their confidence in Johnston, who is off contract at the end of the year and fighting to secure a deal at Souths.

“AJ has proven time and time again that he is more than capable to do the job back there,” said centre Campbell Graham.

“He will bring a bit of experience back to the side. But he (Latrell) is a big loss for us. His injury looked pretty ugly.”

Lock Cameron Murray also endorsed Johnston as Mitchell’s replacement.

“Every time we’ve asked Alex to deliver this year, he has been exceptional for us,” Murray said.

“He is a very loved player, and if he is out there at the back, I’ve got every confidence in him to get the job done.

“He is a great leader from the back there, and he is no stranger to the fullback role. He has been in great form this year and no doubt he will step up in that role if he is gifted that opportunity.”