The Rabbitohs are a different beast in this year’s finals series because of one man — Latrell Mitchell.
South Sydney’s marquee fullback missed the 2021 grand final after he was suspended over breaking former teammate Joey Many’s jaw in an ugly tackle.
Since that moment, Mitchell has been driven by a “burning desire” which premiership winner Michael Ennis knows all too well.
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Vowing to not let his team down again, Mitchell gave up the booze this season and turned down a potential Blues call-up after spending 12 weeks in the US recovering from a hamstring injury.
Now Souths are one win away from another grand final but they must beat familiar foe in the Panthers to get there.
Mitchell’s influence on his side goes beyond the bustling runs and flashy passes and James Graham said the Bunnies are thriving off the back of their “genuine superstar”.
His sheer presence unlocks No. 6 Cody Walker, while halfback Lachlan Illias has come into his own since Mitchell returned in Round 16.
Here, foxsports.com.au breaks down Latrell Mitchell’s importance to a potential Rabbitohs premiership in 2022.
HE’S COMING
Latrell Mitchell has a fire in the belly that’s been burning since the star fullback was forced to watch from the sideline as Penrith narrowly won the grand final last year.
Michael Ennis knows the pain of missing a grand final, and sitting in a losing grand final change room, all too well.
The premiership-winning hooker was ruled out of the Bulldogs’ 2014 grand final with a foot injury suffered during the preliminary finals.
“It would have really hurt Latrell for so many reasons, he loves the big stage, he thrives on it and dominates, and secondly seeing your team,” Ennis said to foxsports.com.au.
“The team you have trained with and invested so much in, I know missing them was so painful. Latrell also shared a close relationship with Wayne Bennett and Adam Reynolds, guys who were moving on.
“To sit down and watch that back-end of the year, it would have been so painful, he would have been really disappointed.
“There would be a burning desire inside of him that would want to get Souths back there, that feeling of being in a losing grand final shed with your teammates, it is painful.
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“It doesn’t leave you until you get back there.”
Mitchell is just 80 minutes away from being back there and is riding an impressive finals winning run.
He has won seven consecutive finals since 2018, sitting behind only Cooper Cronk who recorded nine straight.
Since arriving at the club in 2020, Mitchell has a 74.5 per cent win rate but when he’s not playing that drops to 58.6 per for the Rabbitohs.
Souths score three more points per game and concede 5.4 less with Mitchell in the side.
THE PERFECT PAIRING
Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell — they go together like bread and butter.
The dynamic duo are behind almost everything the Rabbitohs do and have proven time and again they are a lethal attacking force.
Surprisingly, Walker’s statistical returns aren’t majorly boosted when Mitchell is in his team.
Walker records 1.18 try assists per game without Mitchell compared to 1.16 when he is in the team.
The 32-year-old also scores 0.54 tries per game without Mitchell and 0.55 per game with him.
However, one statistic does illustrate Mitchell’s influence — Walker’s linebreak figures increase 0.13 when Mitchell is on the field as the fullback draws so many defenders.
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On the field, it seems Walker and Mitchell always know where the other will be and have forged a strong bond in their three seasons together.
For Ennis, it’s no surprise to see Walker’s form spike after Mitchell returned from a hamstring injury in Round 16.
“I have never played with Latrell, but I have played with guys that just have that aura about them, Latrell seems to have that at Souths,” Ennis said.
“While you look at his numbers statically, it is not so much about that, it is more about those moments in the sheds before you run out knowing Latrell Mitchell is in your side and the confidence that brings.
“It’s no surprise when he came back to see the impact it had on others, Cody Walker in particular is back playing his best footy, there’s no doubt about that.
“When a defensive line has to make decisions, I think most people would agree in the game that once Souths get into the attacking half, that’s when they are such a threat.
“When all of a sudden you are trying to mark Latrell and Cody, that presents such a different challenge because all of a sudden people are worried.
THE LATRELL EFFECT
Mitchell is one of the most scrutinised – and praised – players in rugby league history and he’s learned to embrace the attention.
Whether it’s his stance on the Roosters faithful continually booing him or refusing to put the “beast” away after the Manu incident, he is in the headlines.
Mitchell knows how to shut-out the external noise and by making himself the focal point of the attention, it allows teammates to fly under the radar.
Mark “Spudd” Carroll believes Mitchell knows exactly what he is doing.
“You can see him getting bagged from the crowd, and he is one of those special people, I guarantee it just drives him harder,” Carroll said.
“You can tell as soon as he kicks a goal, he has been hammered by the people behind, he just puts his arms up and says ‘hey guys, this is easy’.
“He is a unique player and he has another game to aim up again on Saturday night.”
James Graham has a different opinion and believes Mitchell is just being “who he is” and in turn the playing group are drawn to him.
“I love what he is doing for South Sydney, as a pundit now he is great to call, he is the type of player I’d love to play with,” Graham said.
“He is just being himself and no one should tell him otherwise, he is having a real positive impact on his team.
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“He is a superstar of our game and our game needs genuine superstars.”
Graham said criticism comes when players “talk a big game” and don’t deliver — but Mitchell is good to his word.
The fullback bounced back after the Roosters targeted him in Round 25, delivering when his team needed him most, with a huge elimination final performance which included a try, try assist and six tackle breaks.
“He is responding to what the opposition are doing, there is no greater example of that then the game Souths played against the Roosters in Round 25, versus the performance he put out in week one of the finals,” Graham said.
“A week is a long time in sport, flying high and then everyone wants to put you down after one indifferent performance, but he responded straight away.
“He is comfortable in his own skin and in his ability and he can adapt and move on and learn on the fly.”
A GOLDEN BOOT
Goalkicking is more important than ever in finals football, where two points can decide a game — like in last year’s grand final.
In 2019, Cronulla lost four matches in a five-game stretch despite crossing for more tries than their opponents.
They eventually finished seventh and were bundled out of the finals by Manly in week one.
Mitchell’s goal kicking has been nothing short of sensational in recent weeks and the fullback is yet to miss one attempt in finals football.
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He has kicked 12 goals from 12 attempts and Carroll explained his kicking is just another “piece of their jigsaw puzzle”.
“His goalkicking is a must at the moment, it is like throwing darts, he doesn’t miss, they all go over the black dot from the sideline,” Carroll said.
“He runs on confidence, he runs on forwards laying the platform and it is not only Latrell, South Sydney as a whole like to go forward and he then creates magic.”
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