Latrell Mitchell cops Michael Ennis truth bomb after 'selfish' uproar around NRL star
The Rabbitohs fullback has faced mounting criticism over his ill-discipline.
NRL great Michael Ennis says Latrell Mitchell owes a debt to his South Sydney teammates after being hit with a three-game ban for an elbow on Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson. The Rabbitohs fullback was also put on report for a lifting tackle in Saturday's match and on Monday accepted a three-game ban for dangerous contact on Johnson.
Mitchell's latest acts of ill-discipline have sparked criticism from commentators and fans and come at a time when his side are already struggling on the field. The Rabbitohs sit last on the ladder and face a tricky stretch of matches against Cronulla, Melbourne and Penrith, with reports coach Jason Demetriou could be facing the axe if the Rabbitohs can't beat Cronulla.
Demetriou described Mitchell's behaviour as "stupid" after the Warriors game and he now faces the most testing period of his coaching career without his most influential player. And Ennis insists Mitchell owes it to his teammates to show them what the club means to him by being the first at training, driving the standards and showing his teammates that the season is still alive.
Michael Ennis issues challenge to Latrell Mitchell
The Sharks premiership winner says Mitchell needs to "go away" and think about how his ill-discipline has affected the team, but not travel back to his home town in Taree for an extended period, like he has done in the past. “You don’t always get it right on the footy field, but where Latrell is at at the moment, he needs to go away over these next three weeks,” Ennis said on Fox League.
“And have a real think about how his actions affect the team, that doesn’t mean that he goes to Taree for three weeks. It cannot happen... He needs to come in, and Latrell Mitchell needs to be at training every single morning at 6am before any other player gets there.
“He needs to dive in and show his teammates and the club what he’s going to do on return, that is the key because Latrell is such a big player in this club. He needs to send a message and this is an opportunity now with three weeks out of the game, not to step back and have a break, it’s about diving in.
“Get there every single morning, train your backside off for the next three weeks and show your teammates the season is still alive.” Fellow NRL great Corey Parker agreed that Mitchell's influence on the Rabbitohs can't be underestimated but described his acts of ill-discipline as "selfish" and said the 26-year-old did not possess a "team-first" mentality.
Corey Parker labels Latrell Mitchell's ill-discipline 'selfish'
“Latrell Mitchell, doesn’t have what the team needs and that’s a team-first mentality,” Parker said. “Since 2021, Latrell Mitchell has had 14 weeks on the sidelines, some of those with some dumb acts, some selfish acts that don’t need to be had.
“They are little acts that when you add them up, they have an impact on the side. For me, Latrell Mitchell, needs to have a look at how he wants to be seen as a player. We love Latrell Mitchell, the game is a better game when Latrell Mitchell is playing really well, but there comes periods of time where you scratch your head. You just think it’s an act that does not need to happen and the people that pay the price the most are his teammates.”
League legend and Maroons coach Billy Slater also claimed Mitchell needs to use his time away from the game to work on areas of improvement. Slater thinks it's a perfect opportunity for Souths to make some key positional changes, with Jye Gray pushing for a start at fullback after impressing in NSW Cup and former Raiders five-eighth and Dally M Medallist Jack Wighton an intriguing option to move into the halves.
"I think this is a great chance for both Latrell and the South Sydney Rabbitohs to reset their season," Slater said. "Latrell needs to go away and you would like to think he is going to work on the areas of his game that he sees are important. And for the Rabbitohs I think it is a great way for them to throw a cat amongst the pigeons and change some spots." Slater said he would move Jack Wighton closer to the ball at five-eighth and move Cody Walker to halfback.