‘Pretty interested in another position’: Mitchell drops hint of fullback switch

Latrell Mitchell is happy to keep rival fans guessing about what position he plays when he returns from suspension in round three for South Sydney, declaring: “I’m pretty interested in another position, but I won’t go there yet.”

The rise of rookie Blake Taaffe in the No. 1 jersey during the NRL finals while Mitchell was serving the start of a six-match ban for his hit on Joey Manu was always going to spark debate over the summer about where the Rabbitohs’ star would play on his return in 2022.

South Sydney’s Latrell Mitchell.Credit:Getty

While new coach Jason Demetriou told the Herald last month “Latrell can play wherever he wants to play, but he will be our fullback when he’s back [from suspension]”, the man himself was happy to stir the pot.

The 24-year-old has already won two titles at centre for the Sydney Roosters, and blitzed it in that position for the NSW Blues this year. A move to five-eighth with dear friend Cody Walker is also not the worst idea.

“I don’t know, you’ll have to wait and see,” Mitchell said when asked about handing over the custodian role to Taaffe. “I’m pretty interested in another position, but I won’t go there yet.

“I love fullback. I enjoy it. I can have a big impact at the back, and with our front-rowers going forward, I can grab the ball and do my part.

“I love Blake. I would have done the ‘old Latrell’ and taken off back to Taree when I got suspended, but I wanted to stick around and help mentor him and help with his confidence.”

Mitchell has been enjoying farm life at Taree and made the second trip to Sydney in the space of a week on a wet Wednesday to help launch Stadio, a home-grown company that will give athletes the chance to cash in on their personal brands.

A proud Indigenous man, Mitchell’s artwork and memorabilia will be sold via Stadio with a portion of the money generated to be directed back to Indigenous communities.

Already the first member of his family to own a home, Mitchell knows he needs to set himself up for life after football – and while he has repeatedly said he would be grateful to be still playing by the time he is 30, is driven to win further titles before he retires.

The traffic getting across the bridge to The star for the latest promotion was another reminder of why city life has never been for him.

Mitchell, who was celebrated at the NSW Blues awards last week, will resume training in the new year and said Souths were in good hands with Demetriou stepping into the hot seat following Wayne Bennett’s departure.

“I’ve had him up to the few times, he’s showed me a lot of respect, and I think he’s love it more than me,” Mitchell said.

As for the captaincy debate, Mitchell said: “I’ve always seen myself as a leader in the game. To lead a club, I’d put my hand up for that, but it’s not my time yet, it’s someone else’s time. There are a lot of great leaders at the club and in the team.

“I want to focus on my footy and keep improving before I take that next step.”

Mitchell was happy for the Roosters game to be scheduled for his return and said: “People want to see the game, it will happen eventually, so why not put it on when I come back. It’s a game of footy. I’ve moved on [from the Manu hit] and got past the fact I was criticised, but it’s the game we play.”

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