Latrell Mitchell footage that shows why Souths must bite the bullet and move him

Jason Demetriou is under extreme pressure to turn around the Rabbitohs' form this year and there are growing calls for Latrell Mitchell to be moved back to centre after damning footage angered fans. The Rabbitohs hit a new low on Friday night having been obliterated 48-6 to start the NRL season 0-3 for 2024.

Under Demetriou, the Rabbitohs have lost 12 of their last 16 games. Dating back to last season, they have also lost their last five games in a row having missed out on the top eight in 2023.

To make matters worse, Mitchell has come under pressure after some lackadaisical defending and positioning at fullback. One glaring moment, called out by NRL fans on the weekend, was during a Roosters try at 24-6.

Roosters five-eighth Sandon Smith put a grubber through the line 10 metres out near the wing. There was no resistance from the South Sydney defence as two Roosters players were the first two to the ball. Mitchell was nowhere near the play, which caused derision between fans.

Fans pointed out that Mitchell should have been positioned where the ball was and been ready to pounce on it as soon as the kick was put through, like many of the best fullbacks in the competition tend to do. The Bunnies' No.1 was also accused of a lack of effort to try and stop Tedesco touching down under the posts for his side's final try in the 42-point thrashing.

Should Jason Demetriou move Latrell Mitchell to centre?

With Demetriou under serious pressure to turn around the losing streak, fans have also called for Mitchell to be shifted to arguably he best position - centre. Mitchell started his career at the Roosters playing in the centres and won two premierships.

He also plays for NSW at centre. His ability out wide makes him arguably the most devastating centre in the game. However, Mitchell has made it no secret he wants to play in the No.1 jersey for the Rabbitohs.

Although, many Rabbitohs fans are starting to call for Jack Wighton and Mitchell to occupy the two centre roles to sure up the attack. Others wants Wighton to take over fullback and Mitchell to shift into the centres. This could allow Wighton to organise the team in defence and allow Mitchell to focus on the attack.

This isn't the first time disgruntled fans have called for Mitchell to move position. Last year, Braith Anasta called out Mitchell over his lacklustre display for the Rabbitohs against the Knights highlighting a number of key moments that exposed his lack of effort. While it appears unlikely Mitchell will be moved from fullback, Demetriou is under pressure to make more big calls as the Rabbitohs face going 0-4 against the Bulldogs this weekend.

Although Demetriou isn't afraid of making changes. Halfback Lachlan Illias was dropped for Friday's game against the Roosters. Fans were then left stunned when Damien Cook was dropped to the bench in favour of Saliva Havili. It remains to be seen whether Demetriou will bring back Illias to halfback after the youngster had a stellar game for the Rabbitohs in the New South Wales Cup.

Jason Demetriou under fire for the Rabbitohs

The Bunnies have conceded a whopping 112 points over their first three games, ranking last in defence and with the worst points differential at -64. None of this bodes well for Demetriou, who reportedly has three games to prove to the club's powerbrokers that he is turning things around, or else faces the axe.

Both The Sydney Morning Herald and Daily Telegraph have reported that if Souths can't show improved form over their next three games, then Demetriou's future as coach is under serious threat. One massive plus for Demetriou's side is that their next three games are all at home against the Bulldogs, Warriors and Sharks, with club heavyweights telling the Telegraph there should be “no excuses” if they deliver more poor performances.