Latrell Mitchell made his long-awaited departure from the Sydney Roosters with the star fullback landing with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

The deal long looked like a mere formality, particularly after Mitchell posted a farewell to the Roosters on his Instagram page before the club had even granted his release.

However, it wasn't all as much a formality as we may believe.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the Bulldogs were considered unlucky to miss out on Mitchell and were even closer to landing the signature of the 22-year-old than West Tigers. who many believed to be the close runner up in the race to sign Mitchell.

The Bulldogs didn't jump in head-first like other suitors, instead choosing to monitor the ongoing discussion. The Bulldogs did hold some meetings with Mitchell and a handshake agreement was even reached between the two parties on November 21.

The Bulldogs cooled off on Mitchell not long after that meeting and that left the Rabbitohs as the last standing option for Mitchell.

The Rabbitohs are already adjusting their salary cap to allow Mitchell to stay long term once his original deal expires at the end of 2020.

23 COMMENTS

  1. Read bunnies already activated his second year option, next 4 year deal 💪🏻, lock up Murray, Arrow coming and JAC coming also. What a team.

  2. Seriously, and this is a genuinely serious question, did/does anyone actually believe Mitchell signed his contract because it’s where he wanted to be?
    I’m not saying it (the Bunnies) may not have been his preferred club, but there’s zero doubt in my mind he’s only there (under his current arranagements) because he/his manager/s went way too far playing the auction game.
    If the Bunnies are exercising their option now, which wouldn’t surprise me, why? It’s their option, at $800k for 2021, he hasn’t even played a trial game (for the Bunnies) at FB yet, and he (Mitchell) is so committed to play for the Bunnies he’d take a massive pay cut etc, so the only explanation is the Bunnies are just such a great club? Not commercial, not at all, just want to look after their players, even the newest one?
    All that said, I think he’s a great signing, especially on the coin they got him for, and I think he’ll do really well at FB, if he can stay motivated, but at the same time now that he’s through the immediate employment issues he/his manager/s created, its back to the usual (and there’s nothing wrong with this) best option basis going forward.

  3. Eels while I do think this was his preferred option I am biased. Seriously we just don’t know what was going on behind the scenes, not just while he was being shopped around but before that. One thing I am sure about is he didn’t lose out money wise while his contract may be smaller then expected I’m sure it’s being made up in other ways. Every club does it and we’re kidding ourselves in thinking it doesn’t go on. Again that’s my opinion and it will differ to others.

  4. So if the only option left was the Bunnies what were Robinson and Fittler doing in Taree just before Latrell signed with Souths.
    I know it wasn’t for the pizza.

  5. The pizza in Taree is crap, all i see is Mitchell being really happy at Souths, always a big smile on his face, Easts supporters say he is lazy, may well be, but you can’t be lazy at fullback and I believe he will excel there , may just have to give him some time to adjust, not long till the footy starts.

  6. Agree penso, Latrell has flourished since coming home and by mid season I predict him to be regarded as the best fullback in the world.
    The kid is a freak and under the guidance of Bennett and his mentor idol GI, we will witness something very special.

  7. Wow 21, now that is a big prediction. I honestly don’t see how after playing half a season in the position he will overtake Tedesco as the best fullback. It will take time to get to anywhere near that level. I would be more concerned/interested in him developing some more consistency in his game before I worry about him being the best.

  8. you will witness a fat, lazy FB wannabe ….fade in and out of matches 😂😂🤣🤣
    I’d like to see fatrell come anywhere near Tedesco for speed and endurance at FB….keep dreamin dopey

  9. GNR based on past performances I would agree with you but who knows maybe a change of scenery is just what he needs ?

  10. You all forget … The Chooks SACKED him, he literally cried in front of Robbo and Uncle Nick to take him back…
    watch when he chuck a sookie. (and he will), HOME will be Taree

  11. Chookstir…everyone knows Taree is his home, it was Easts who brought him to Sydney, nurtured him through the grades, gave him the opportunity in the big time ….and then yes, he cried to Easts to take him back after they gave him the ass.
    21 just likes to piffle on that soufs are his “spiritual home”, or some such crap…..fact is Easts SACKED him, and soufs was his LAST CHOICE, after he broke a handshake promise to the dogs and jerked the tigers and titans around for months.
    I wish him all the best, just glad he’s not at Bondi anymore….

  12. Maybe he is smiling a lot more, maybe he will be the best FB in the world one day, maybe he will be a liability
    We will find out in due course.

    To me I believe the whole contract saga was theatre
    I believe he wanted to go to Souths all along for a few reasons
    I believe they paid over 1 Mill for him
    To play fullback
    His dads team
    Bennet let it out in his press conference (albeit accidentally) that when he came over to SS they told him that they would be getting Latrell. That was 1 year earlier… That needs to be investigated
    He refused 1 Mil form Tigers, $800k from Roosters, 10 Mill from Bulldogs after agreeing on the move.

    Who on earth believes he would play for a club for $500k less?
    Especially after he publicly stated he wanted to make as much money as he could.??

    In any event It will be interesting to watch

  13. eels47
    February 11, 2020 at 10:24 am
    “Wow 21, now that is a big prediction.”
    Watch this space.
    Chookstain, wake up. Latrell has left the building.😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

  14. Eels47 & TwentyOne..
    I’d wonder why you’d want to take something thats not broken & try to fix it? As in, why take an excellent first grade centre & try to make him a fullback? True , his defence when playing rep games is all over the place? As is his decision making at times when under pressure ( at centre ) , in rep games. While playing centre he’s also helped the Nuggets win premierships & its how he’s played at centre that’s gotten him into rep teams in the first place. You’d have to think that he’s demanded the fullback position at South’s, if he was going to sign there at all. So what Mitchell wants, he gets?
    Tedesco has a proven track record at fullback, at all levels. Mitchell has not. They are also not the only fullbacks around. Holmes is a pretty good fullback, as is Ponga.
    Best in the world?

  15. EOD, I have no problem with the Bunnies wanting to trial Mitchell as their fullback if that is where he wants to play and that is where he is needed. All else being equal there is no reason he can’t become a good fullback. What worries be is how he drifts in and out of games, hence why I said I would be more concerned with him finding consistency first before being the best. I saw it first hand as an Eels supporter with Jarryd Hayne. When he was on he was the best fullback in the game, but it wasn’t often enough. I see a lot of similarities in Mitchell to Hayne as well, in that they fill up the highlight reel, but there is not a lot of substance behind it.

    He may or may not end up the best fullback in the game in time, but there is a long road to get there i think.

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