Ben Hornby lifts the lid on Latrell Mitchell's state of mind ahead of NRL return

Souths interim coach Ben Hornby says Latrell Mitchell is a changed man after his suspension and expects him to be a very different player when he makes his return this weekend. Saturday's game against the Dragons will be the star fullback's first since receiving a three-match ban for elbowing Shaun Johnson in the head during the Rabbitohs' round-five loss to the Warriors.

Since then, Souths have undergone significant off-field upheaval, sacking coach Jason Demetriou, putting Hornby in as his interim replacement and signing Lewis Dodd to play halfback from 2025. Souths have also been winless in that time and sit last on the NRL ladder.

The club also has a serious injury crisis to the point where Queensland Cup player Gehamat Shibasaki has been brought in on a game-by-game basis, while Dion Teapua will debut this weekend at halfback. The Rabbitohs' list of outs in their top-30 squad is in the double digits, making Mitchell's return very timely.

And while Hornby says Mitchell being back won't fix everything, he says the fullback is refreshed and is the best he has been in a long time. "It's great to have (Mitchell) back," Hornby said. "Latrell is a big player obviously, a big part of our team and you've seen when he plays we tend to do a lot better."

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"He's learned from that, he's dealt with it. He's come back, he's refreshed. We're looking forward to seeing him have a big impact on the game. In the last couple of weeks, I've seen a real change in him.

"He's been doing a really good job at training the last couple of weeks, preparing the boys as best he can as well. He's really engaged at the moment and I'm sure you'll see the best Latrell we've seen for a little while."

Latrell Mitchell's return not a magic fix

Despite being glad to welcome the star fullback back, Hornby says the Rabbitohs can't just rely on Mitchell to make things happen this weekend. The Bunnies fell into a form slump during Mitchell's seven-game calf injury last year but things didn't magically turn around when he returned, winning just two of four games with him in the side.

"We can't be relying on 'Trell' to win us this game," Hornby said. "We've all got to be better, that's the reality. Latrell's no different there, he knows he needs to be better but as a collective, we need to be better. That's what we're working on."

Cody Walker says Latrell Mitchell's return is huge for the squad

As Cody Walker prepares to captain the Bunnies in what will be his 200th NRL game this weekend, the half says the confidence Mitchell's return gives the squad is second to none. "He feeds a lot of people with confidence when he puts that jersey on when you look across from him in the sheds," Walker said on Wednesday.

"He's an elite player, he is world-class - he just feeds everyone with confidence. "He's a massive in for us, he is a massive part of our squad and we just can't wait to get him out there and play some footy. We're looking forward to having him back. We're gonna be up against it (against the Dragons) and we know that, but looking forward to getting out there and playing some footy. "

with AAP