The South Sydney Rabbitohs' official contribution to send star fullback Latrell Mitchell to Philadelphia has been revealed, coming in considerably less than first reported.
Mitchell, who had a two-part documentary Pushing Boundaries released on his recovery, spent 15 days in the United States working with conditioning specialist, Bill Knowles, in order to mend his hamstring.
However, despite the initial figure reported at $50,000 which then ballooned to $70,000, the Rabbitohs have revitalised a superstar - for just $12,000.
While the entire cost of the trek sits a lot closer to the original reported figure, the Sydney Morning Herald has revealed the Rabbitohs chipped in just $12,000 for the journey, not even enough to cover his $21,000 flights.
If anyone is to thank for the form of Latrell since his Round 16 return, it's one of the Bunnies major sponsors, Ingenia Holiday Parks.
The sponsor chipped in an estimated $45,000 for the round trip, which included the filming of the documentary, and not a single cent of it was classified under the club's football department cap - the NRL instead clearing it as a medical expense.
While certain outlets have jumped to declare Mitchell's return form on the verge of 'Hayne 09' or 'Turbo 21' levels, the mixture of size, speed and skill is a deadly combination for opposition teams.
Though, despite the massive predictions for the remainder of Latrell's season, head coach Jason Demetriou isn't getting ahead of himself.
“Latrell is in a great place, but we’ll know more at the back end of the year - it wasn’t just about getting back and playing footy, it was about staying healthy this year and the years beyond,” Demetriou told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“I still think there’s more in him, he’ll get better each week, and over the next month we’ll see the best of him.
“He’s a presence. He’s the kind of guy who says, ‘come with me’, and people follow him. Having guys like Damien Cook and Cam back this week will be a massive help because they do that as well.”
While one eye may sit on the three-year extension from South Sydney dangling in front of him, the other will firmly sit on Saturday's clash with Melbourne, who they haven't defeated since 2018.
A victory will see the Rabbitohs jump Parramatta on the table, as well as create a four-point buffer between them and 8th spot on the ladder.
