Latrell Mitchell is prepared to walk away from the NRL at the end of his latest contract extension should his beloved South Sydney win a premiership.
Mitchell has already won two NRL titles with the Sydney Roosters, a State of Origin series with NSW and a World Cup with Australia.
The only thing missing from his brilliant CV is a premiership with the Rabbitohs, and should Mitchell lead the historic club to the promised land before his new four-year deal expires – something most fans are convinced can happen – he is prepared to call it quits and enjoy the good life on the family farm.
Mitchell told the Herald in the lead-up to the 2019 grand final, when he was with bitter rivals the Roosters, he was open to retiring at 30.
And on Wednesday, as he fronted a press conference alongside good friend Cody Walker to discuss their new deals with the Bunnies, said nothing had changed. The Indigenous star will be 30 by the time his contract ends in 2027.
“I’ll see where I’m at when I’m 30,” a smiling Mitchell told the Herald. “For now it’s about focusing on the next five years. But a few [more] premierships by the time I’m 30, it might be time to hang the boots up and enjoy life with my kids. I’ve sacrificed enough time away from them, and I’d definitely love to kick back on my farm and enjoy the family growing up.”
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker confirmed their contract extensions with Souths on Wednesday.Credit:Nick Moir/SMH
Mitchell sat on stage with his young daughter, Aleena, at The Venue, deep in Rabbitohs territory, and only ever looked like choking up when asked about his family.
“I don’t like talking about my family, it hits me hard,” Mitchell said. “It’s the same feeling when I talk about South Sydney – it’s the passion I have.”
Mitchell quipped last month he would sign a lifetime deal with Souths if owner Russell Crowe threw in a few cows for his Taree property.
For the record, Mitchell said “there were no cows” in his new deal, and added, “any cows would have to be in the salary cap.”
Mitchell also confirmed he had spoken with Wayne Bennett, the supercoach struggling to recruit a marquee man to NRL newcomers the Dolphins, but Mitchell said: “The only time Wayne rang me, and the only time Wayne does ring me, is to talk about cows. He didn’t want to tread on anyone’s toes, I understood that, and he didn’t bring anything up – we talked cows, not contracts.”
Mitchell missed more than two months of the 2022 regular season after heading to the US to work with reconditioning specialist Bill Knowles as he overcame hamstring injuries, and was one of the most devastating players in the game when he returned.
Just how he can sustain that brutal form an entire year remains to be seen, but Mitchell and coach Jason Demetriou have good reason to believe there will be no issues.
Demetriou said this would be the first time Mitchell enjoyed an eight-week pre-season following two interrupted lead-ups because of knee surgery and a serious hamstring injury.
Latrell Mitchell was joined on stage at The Venue by young daughter, Aleena.Credit:Nick Moir/SMH
As Mitchell weighs up an early exit, Walker, who turns 33 next month, is prepared to play on once his new deal expires at the end of 2025.
“Don’t write me off,” said Walker, when asked if the latest extension would be his last.
“With me starting a bit later [in the NRL] has helped prolong my career. I debuted at 26, I grew into my body and wasn’t taking the hits at 17 and 18. We’ll see what happens.”
Walker, like Mitchell, described Souths as family, and some of his greatest memories involved his two sons who often double as NRL ball-boys, including the day he shook hands with his eldest, Kian, after scoring a try against the Roosters.
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