It may take weeks or months until we see Latrell Mitchell back to his best – but it will be worth the wait.
We’ve seen glimpses of Mitchell’s best so far in his two appearances – most notably with that field goal against the Storm and a breakaway try against the Roosters – but legendary fullback Billy Slater said his Souths contemporary is only getting started.
“I thought Latrell Mitchell did a really good job… Joey Manu, for that matter, played really well for the Roosters – those two boys did great,” he told Wide World of Sports’ Billy’s Breakdown.
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Slater believes that those moments of magic from Mitchell will start to become more frequent as he eases himself back into first grade, following a five-game suspension.
Mitchell missed both the grand final and this year’s season opener after a brutal hit on Joey Manu last year – and both parties hope that’s finally in the past after Friday.
“I think he’s about a month away from his best performances – he’s still getting that match fitness,” Slater said of Mitchell.
“I watched him closely on the weekend. He had eight runs. They had a lot of ball, South Sydney, and I thought he would be a little bit more involved than what he was.”
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Slater said Mitchell was still coming to grips with the pace of the season and was about “four to six weeks” from firing on all cylinders.
“When you know you’re not playing at the start of the season… he wouldn’t have trained in the main team a lot leading up to that round one, so I think Latrell Mitchell, and just typical of the way he plays, he warms into the season.
“In about a month’s time he’s going to be hitting his straps and I think we’ll see a much different, much more involved Latrell Mitchell.”
Rabbitohs fans would hope that peak comes sooner than expected, with a huge clash against the Panthers in a grand final replay this Friday.
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