SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Latrell Mitchell of the Roosters celebrates winning the 2018 NRL Grand Final match between the Melbourne Storm and the Sydney Roosters at ANZ Stadium on September 30, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

After what seemed like an eternity, the playing future of Latrell Mitchell is settled, with the star fullback signing with the Soth Sydney Rabbitohs.

Mitchell was granted his release effective immediately from the Sydney Roosters on Monday, allowing him to depart with a year still to run on his current contract.

The 22-year old has signed a one-year deal with the option for the Rabbitohs to extend it by a further year. The Rabbits have until June 30 to exercise that option.

The deal is reportedly worth $600,000 with that number jumping to $800,000 if the second-year option is taken. It is believed that Mitchell will take the fullback position at Redfern but only after starting at left centre and building up some conditioning.

There were times when the deal looked destined to fail after the Roosters threatened to block a move due to wages paid to Mitchell post November 1.

Mitchell took to Instagram last week to announce his departure and thank the club: "I want to thank the Sydney Roosters for everything they have done for me and my family...Nothing has been made official as of yet. But my stay at the Roosters has come to an end. On to the next chapter. wherever that may be."

South Sydney General Manger of Football Shane Richardson spoke about the acquisition of Mitchell.

"Latrell is a sublime talent and with the guidance of our coaching staff, senior players and mentors, we think Latrell can go to another level in the red and green," he told the club website.

Richardson said Mitchell knows what it takes to succeed at South Sydney.

"He has the ability to be one of the best players in the world and from our discussions with him he understands that it’s going to take a lot of hard work and effort for him to be at his best consistently and to reach his full potential."

Mitchell played 97 games for the Sydney Roosters from 2016-2019.

38 COMMENTS

  1. What a magnificent press conference.
    Every reason for coming was covered and as his father said “it is a homecoming for him”
    Never seen Latrell this happy.
    GLORY GLORY.
    After watching that press conference everyone can see the roosters just didn’t stack up for him.

  2. Latrell confirmed Souths was always where he wanted to be and a dream come true.
    2041, not even wombats like you can spoil this momentous day.

  3. Huge coup for the Bunnies and their gain is the Roosters loss. Will probably be as good as teddy at fullback but Bunnies forward pack looks light on, so might not see his best for a bit.

    Guess the NRL didnt think he was being paid unders to register the contract. It is literally $400k below market rate seeing as thats what the Tigers were happy to give him. More inconsistency from the NRL. Well I guess if the rules arent clearly defined it gives the NRL whatever room they need when they want it. Not a professional game until they address this sort of rubbish.

  4. @21 if that where he always wanted to be, why string several clubs and fans along for months on end?…The guy couldn;’t stop getting off seeing his name in the papers everyday!!!,…Count how many times in 2020 he allows a bomb to bounce ’cause he couldn’t get to the ball fast enough!…

  5. 2041
    January 13, 2020 at 4:21 pm
    “@21 if that where he always wanted to be, why string several clubs and fans along for months on end?…”

    Firstly, clubs had a right to pursue him and out of courtesy he spoke with them.
    Secondly, you saw the daggers come out from the roosters the last week once they found out Souths was his choice.
    He was simply throwing them off like Souths were.

  6. Twenty 1 has the hot tips this off season.
    I wonder if there is any truth to the roosters cap investigation.

  7. Anyone who thinks he is going to be a champion fullback are just dillusional.
    He has nowhere near the fitness to play fullback and that won’t be changing.
    Doesn’t have the ball playing abilities either As shown when he very unsuccessfully switched to 5/8.
    Will always have the abilities to be the best centre in comp but is never consistently going to shown it and certainly won’t make a top fullback

  8. @Twentyone Congratulations …… this is fantastic. I would like Latrell to smash a few of these Broosters this season. Anyways the fundamental issue is that not for a second do I think they are Salary Cap compliant; they haven’t been compliant since a few years. And the only reason they are getting away with this is due to the corr.uption within NRL.

  9. Good to see all the r0rters clowns eat crow (most likely Crowe). How many of those idiots said he wasn’t going anywhere, wouldn’t go near the rabbits. Made my day and I don’t even support the rabbits.

  10. screamingeagle
    January 13, 2020 at 6:05 pm
    “Twenty 1 has the hot tips this off season.
    I wonder if there is any truth to the roosters cap investigation”

    All I can say is copy and paste this in March/April. Leave it at that for now.
    Very sensitive subject.

  11. Good to see Latrell come to Souths for unders, he said at his press conference that he could have earned more money elsewhere, it wasn’t about money and he proved that.

    Again i say, if this happened at Souths, where a marquee player left after winning two comps, those Easts guys, all one of them, except Brennan who is an Easts supporter with reverse sledging , would have a field day putting Souths down, about time Easts copped some of the own back after years of raping players from other clubs, this is justice, and watch the Easts crowds go down now that the first game of the season is a Souths home game and the Anzac day game against Saints is a home game to Saints, Easts have been living off other teams supporters for many years and once they start losing, and they will this year, their crowds will be imbrassing, not to mention their memberships which are embrassing right now to ne honest even though they are winning, struth, wait till they go bad, which won’t be long, even Mitchell Peirce said , it’s great playing infront of crowds something i’m not used to on a weekly basis.

  12. After watching the news media, it just confirms that Latrell Mitchell, is an entitled little princess. Fancy demanding to play a certain position? Also, he describes this whole saga as being in a pressure situation? Try supporting a family on much less than what he is, reportedly, being paid.

  13. Better ease up on those pies fatrell if you think your going to be a gun fullback covering up to 10kms per game like the other gun fullbacks in the nrl. Move your a$$ chubby

  14. Souffs, you have no idea what you’re in for.
    You seem to forget… He was flicked.
    Are any of you curious as to why..?

  15. chookstir, I’m not trying to cause dramas, it appears that the Roosters may have got cranky with Mitchell because he wanted to test his value? We weren’t privy to their conversations, so who knows the truth.

  16. The way I see it, and it’s an opinion, his preferred clubs (very little between them) was the Roosters or Bunnies, but the deciding factor (a major contributor at least) to favour the Bunnies over the Roosters was the likelyhood of playing FB (you’d rather be behind anyone but Teddy).
    Still just my opinion, but he was using the “market” to get top dollar, or very close to it, from the Bunnies, the Roosters offer was his “worst case scenario” fallback, and he/his manager went way too far. The other clubs weren’t prepared to leave 10% of their cap unfilled indefinitely, especially as it was unlikely to be filled by Mitchell, and the Roosters and the Bunnies weren’t prepared to compete. The Roosters and rival clubs pulled their offers, to free up cap space to look elsewhere, his “brand” was getting more tarnished by the day, and he ends up almost desperate (certainly compared to where he was). Without his fallback offer from the Roosters, and no offer/interest from them now, he grabs a low ball offer from the Bunnies.
    Going forward, I think he’s a HUGE signing for Bunnies still, in that it’s 1 of his 2 preferred clubs, they got him cheap (especially given the Roosters have paid for 2 months), and they got the option (at a reasonable rate) for 2021.
    As for the supports of rival clubs claiming the NRL shouldn’t allow it etc etc etc etc, why not? He’s currently a centre, getting $700-$720k p.a (counting the Roosters money) for 1 year only, and the bigger money (up to the $mil) is now off the table.
    Lastly, I think he’ll do well as a FB, but not immediately.

  17. I liked the way Richo stared down Uncle Nick over the compensation claim. Uncle Nick was never going to get it so he bailed out. Priceless.

  18. That’s right chalky. He was contracted to roosters for another year.
    He was directed by roosters to find another club.
    Until he signed with another club roosters owe him to the day.
    He could have dragged it out to round one but it would have been disruptive to preseason.

  19. End of the day he’s at South’s now. Everyone expects instant sucess nowadays but Latrell won’t start at FB they’ll ease him into the role once his fitness is back. Regardless of if you’re salty indifferent or happy with the outcome its time to move on. Time will tell how the move works but can we please move onto another topic.

  20. screamingeagle
    Your right they owe him to the day and it would have been disruptive to drag it on.
    chalky
    your right also uncle nick was never going to get it and he knew it. But what sort of business man would he be if he didnt try
    Better to try and fail than not try at all.
    eelsalmighty
    I think he was using the market to get top dollar from the Roosters We know he was unhappy with his first manager for not getting enough on his current deal, and then his next manager promised him a million. when the offer come back at 800k he was again unhappy.
    I dont think Souths low balled him 600k is 50k more than he would have been on at Easts this year and when you factor in the 120k Easts have paid thats 170k more. If souths sign him again next year for 800k he will be on the same as the Easts offer. He wanted more money and the chance to play Fullback again he has got his wish you would have think well played..

  21. Busta, that’s a very fair point. I didn’t look at it that way, but yeah, it’s still a win.
    That said, I’d imagine he’s still disappointed with the outcome, but as per my comment above, I think the Bunnies got a big win, and Latrell’s got plenty of time ahead of him to make the most of the opportunity (to make the sort of coin that comes with being FB if he can slot into the role).

  22. Yeah i think he had plan A and plan B. Plan A fails Plan B is still a win.
    And if he plays fullback as good as he played center the 6 figures will come. As you said plenty of time.

  23. Lol Penso you cracked me up about Brennan 😂. Look he wants to play fb and we need a fb full time not a fill in. Latrell will be a gun. He was a freak when he played at 18/19 for the roosters. He will only get better under Bennett and Inglis in his corner. Haters going to hate. That’s 4 Souths players to roosters and 1 rooster to bunnies and they’re crying. Keary I’ll say was a huge loss but walker has done well. Up the bunnies! Let’s go 2020!

  24. DODGY BENNET, RICHARDSON AND CROWE ARE AT IT AGAIN WITH THEIR BACKROOM PAPER BAG DEALS
    YES CERTAINLY WE ALL BELIEVE THAT MITCHELL SIGNED ON FOR HALF THE AMOUNT HE COULD GET ANYWHERE ESLE… HES SUCH A LOVELY BLOKE!!
    jUST LIKE LOCKYYER DID WHEN HE WAS CAPTIAN OF AUSTRALIA SIGNED ON WITH THE BRONCOS FOR $250K

    BENNET IS WELL VERSED IN SALARY CAP CHEATING. THE BRONCOS WERE THE BIGGEST CHEATS OF THE CAP AND NOW HE HAS BROUGHT THAT WISDOM TO SOUTHS

  25. Chicken fans (I mean fan) u there ???? where r u ???
    It’s gone quiet over there, quiet over there… (c’om sing it)…..

  26. You can have him! roosters will still win without him as we still have the strongest roster and best coach…fact!

  27. Can we get Woody Clowns’ Alias (Brennan.Lane) kicked off this site.. c’on ZT – am sure everyone would vote for this.

  28. Brennan seriously when are you going to give it up. The season hasn’t started and you’re already on the bunnies case. Deadset mate You’re the epitome of a fake fan. Bunnies will do well and latrell will be one of the best fb’s in the game. Hence titans, dogs and tigers all wanted to pay stupid money for him.

  29. Rabbitohs17… Maybe Latrell will become one of the games best fullbacks, maybe he won’t. I have my doubts, but who knows. But 3 struggling teams offering big $$ is hardly evidence that he will become a top player.

  30. Predicting doom for the team that you follow isn’t being a “fake fan”.

    Being a fan is wanting a team to win. That’s it.

    Nothing you say on an internet message board that nobody of importance reads is ever going to make a single difference to that.

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