By Joel Gould
Wayne Bennett has vowed to help put troubled Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell back on track when he returns to South Sydney next season.
But Bennett has also made it clear that any player in the NRL, Mitchell included, must “change their behaviour” when they get it wrong.
The league has hit Mitchell with a breach notice over the image that showed him in a room with a white substance.
The Rabbitohs superstar was sanctioned on Thursday for the image, which circulated on social media on Monday.
The picture shows Mitchell leaning over a table that had white substance on top of it. There is no suggestion the white substance was an illegal drug.
The 27-year-old dual premiership winner will reunite with Bennett in 2025 with the pair sharing a close bond. The Dolphins mentor on Friday said he would provide guidance.
A Bennett return to South Sydney and a reunion with Latrell Mitchell awaits next season.Credit: Getty
“I’Il look forward to it. I will be there for him and I hope I can give them the help that he needs,” Bennett said. “I haven’t reached out to him [now]. I’m not coaching there at the moment. I am not the coach there.
“I have responsibilities here. He is in good hands at South Sydney and he is a good person. I have a lot of time for Latrell. South Sydney will handle the matter. They are a great club and they will get it right with Latrell.
“Worry is not the word I would use. I am not giving any counselling … here today. The club is handling it. I know he would be upset with himself. We’ve just got to get it sorted out and move forward.”
Bennett said he had no doubt Mitchell, currently injured, could bounce back from the latest setback.
“If you have his ability, it is not hard. At the end of the day, he is a football player and it is what he does on the field he should be remembered for. That’s the key,” Bennett said. “Not what he does off the field. It shouldn’t be the headline. He is a great player and I am sure he will get it right.”
Bennett said that any person involved in the NRL had to face the fact they are under different scrutiny than others. He reiterated that personal responsibility was paramount.
“It is not easy. Most businesses in Australia would fail if they were under the scrutiny we are under. We are under an enormous amount of scrutiny,” he said.
“That doesn’t give us the reason to do what is not right. The reality is that if you decide to coach in the NRL, if you decide to play in the NRL or be an official in the NRL, you are under different rules to everyone else in society.
“If you can’t handle that, then don’t do the job. Go and be a part of society, other you will be under scrutiny and you have to learn to live with it and change your behaviour.”