Why handing Latrell Mitchell the Rabbitohs captaincy would be a Wayne Bennett masterstroke

OPINION

With Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray to miss the start of the 2025 season through injury, Souths coach Wayne Bennett has been presented with the perfect opportunity to elevate Latrell Mitchell's game by handing him the captain's armband. Murray suffered a wrist injury while playing the Kangaroos and will miss the opening weeks of the 2025 season, giving Bennett an early decision to make.

Murray has been a great leader for Souths but in his absence, the Bunnies need someone to step up. Cody Walker has filled in as captain in the past when Murray has been out and is the most likely to be given the honour. However, he was overlooked by Bennett previously with the 74-year-old opting to go with Adam Reynolds as skipper over the likes of him and Damien Cook. And there is no reason why Bennett couldn't go another direction again and if the super coach is taking suggestions I nominate the troubled fullback.

While handing Mitchell the captaincy would be met with plenty of pushback, if it spurs Mitchell on like I believe it would, it could be a genius move. And if it works out well, Mitchell could even continue as a co-captain alongside Murray upon the back rower's return.

There is no denying that Mitchell has endured a torrid last 12 months, filled with both on and off-field issues. However, giving Mitchell the captaincy from round 2 - after he serves his NRL suspension in the season opener - would show Bennett not only trusts the fullback but also gives the Rabbitohs No.1 a chance to lead from the front.

When the weight of expectations and responsibility has been firmly on Mitchell's shoulders in the past he has stepped up. This was showcased perfectly in last year's Origin series where his inspired performance in Game 2 saved the series for NSW and sent the series to the decider, which the Blues ultimately won. While at the Rabbitohs when Mitchell took to the field in 2024, he had a hand in almost everything good and was instrumental in the club's mid-season rally for a finals place.

And despite the fact Mitchell made a major mistake with the white powder saga, throughout his career he has shown he has great leadership traits on the pitch while also committing a lot of his time off the field to community events. At 27, he is entering his prime NRL years and having already tasted success at State of Origin and international level, the one thing that remains for him to achieve is glory with South Sydney.

Mitchell's competitive spirit and desire to win on the pitch are there for all to see, and giving him the captaincy in 2025 could ignite both him and the Bunnies into a strong start to the new season. If given the chance Mitchell can remind the NRL world that when fit and firing he is as good as anyone, he just needs to be given the opportunity to show it.

Latrell Mitchell has captained Indigenous All-Stars team

The positive effect the added responsibility had on Mitchell could be seen to an extent when he was handed the captaincy for last year's Indigenous All-Stars match against the Maori All-Stars. For that game, he took over from Walker as captain and led admirably from the front.

"To lead my people is an honour that I don’t take lightly both on and off the field," Mitchell told NRL.com at the time. "This week we celebrate our culture and get to go and express that in front of the whole nation. This is more than a game to us."

"I feel content. I feel like a lot of things are going right and it has been really good to come into this camp and express who I am and fill the cup up for the rest of the year." Mitchell played an integral role in the All Stars winning that match and if he is handed the armband by Bennett he can similarly spur on Souths.

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Latrell Mitchell's show of intent ahead of 2025 campaign

In another sign of his intent and burning desire to have a big 2025 campaign, ahead of the new season Mitchell is ensuring he is in the best shape possible, building a home gym and sauna. Mitchell has also dropped 5kg ahead of his return to full training and has posted several pictures of his slim physique.

His actions have already impressed Bennett who told The Daily Telegraph that he is impressed by the fullback's work ethic and commitment. "I haven’t spoken to Latrell lately but if he’s in shape that’s great to hear," he told the publication.

"He has been dealt with by the NRL and the club. I’m not there with Latrell at the moment but I’ll know a lot more about him in a month’s time."

Key to Rabbitohs' success is keeping Latrell Mitchell fit

The Rabbitohs will be hoping Mitchell can stay fit in 2025, something he has struggled to do in recent years. To date, Mitchell hasn't had a full NRL season at the Rabbitohs. In his five years at Souths, he has played just 14, 17, 17, 16 and 11 games.

However, in his four years at the Roosters before heading to Redfern it was a different story. In Mitchell's Tri Colours career, he never played less than 23 games in a year and it is no coincidence that when he played the most games success followed. The Roosters won two premierships in his final two years in 2018 and 2019, the same years he racked up the most points, scoring 17 and 19 tries respectively.