Latrell Mitchell's telling new move that shows NRL star has finally got the message

Latrell Mitchell appears to have finally got the message that he needs to knuckle down and make NRL his No.1 priority. The South Sydney fullback is currently in the midst of serving a three-game suspension amid a tumultuous start to the 2024 season.

In the opening round he copped backlash for his comments about Spencer Leniu's racial slur, which contravened NRL rules around judiciary cases. And in the second round he was widely condemned for an expletive-laden post-match interview.

The third round saw him cop criticism for an underwhelming display against the Roosters in which he was caught out of position at the back, before an ugly incident that knocked out Josh Addo-Carr in the fourth round.

The situation then descended in the fifth round when Mitchell elbowed Shaun Johnson in the face, copping a three-game ban for his troubles. The controversy-plagued start to the season has sparked questions over whether Mitchell is fully committed to the Rabbitohs and his NRL career, with Mat Rogers even floating extraordinary claims that we might not see him play again.

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But Mitchell's actions over the last week have gone some way to showing he is fully committed and ready to focus on returning to his best for Souths. The fullback was part of a meeting with Souths officials in which some of his most trusted advisors said he should walk away from the NRL if he isn't all-in.

But Mitchell has shrugged off that suggestion and vowed to attend every South training session during his suspension, which will see him sidelined for four weeks because the Rabbitohs have a bye this week. Tellingly, Mitchell has been helping to guide and mentor Jye Gray during training sessions, with the 20-year-old taking over the fullback role while Mitchell is out.

Latrell Mitchell's telling social media move amid controversy

But perhaps the most telling sign that Mitchell has got the message is his lack of social media activity of late. The 26-year-old is a prolific social media user and often posts photos and videos for his followers.

He made sure to post a photo celebrating the fact he'd scored his 100th career try last month, despite the fact it came during the Rabbitohs' disappointing loss to Brisbane. But Mitchell hasn't posted a single thing in the last three weeks, which goes some way to suggesting he's focusing more on his embattled club and teammates.

The Rabbitohs have just one win from six games so far this season, and coach Jason Demetriou is on the verge of being sacked. But another telling sign that Mitchell has turned a corner is the fact he opted to decline an invitation from NSW coach Michael Maguire to discuss the upcoming State of Origin series.

Maguire invited a number of fullbacks, halves and hookers to a meeting at NSW Blues headquarters at Sydney Olympic Park, with the likes of James Tedesco, Tom Trbojevic and Nicho Hynes in attendance. Souths players Mitchell, Cody Walker and Damien Cook were all invited, but opted to decline so they could remain fully-focused on helping Souths turn around their wretched run.

What position Mitchell will be playing when he returns from his ban remains to be seen. Demetriou has declared the No.1 jersey is Gray's to lose after a strong showing on debut against the Sharks. And while many have suggested Mitchell should move back to centre, Alex McKinnon has claimed Souths would be better served with him at five-eighth.