Sydney Roosters star Latrell Mitchell is weighing up signing a reduced one-year deal with the South Sydney Rabbitohs worth $400,000 a season, according to a report by Fairfax.
It would be a big risk for the centre, who would be banking on the Bunnies finding cap space to offer him a lucrative extension from 2021.
Should he agree to the Rabbitohs offer or suffer serious injury in 2020, Mitchell would lose significant bargaining power for his next contract negotiations.
The 22-year old has been offered a four-year $3.8 million deal by the Wests Tigers.
It is believed that the Rabbitohs' priority is acquiring rising Titan Jai Arrow, with the club pushing for Gold Coast to release him a year early.
Arrow signed a four-year deal with South Sydney from 2021.
If Arrow is given an early release, it would leave the Rabbitohs with around $400,000 to pay Mitchell.
Mitchell was due to return to training with the Roosters on Monday, but he has instead been granted an absence of leave from the club as he decides on his future.
The Roosters released the following statement on the matter on Sunday night via the club website.
"In lead-up to the clubโs return to pre-season, Sydney Roosters player Latrell Mitchell has been granted a leave of absence, excusing him from all training commitments.
"The club will be making no further comment at this time."
Oh my gosh youโre deadset the worst fan ever. Seriously just stop. Farout if I was at war Iโd hate to have you next to me ๐คฆโโ๏ธ๐. No faith at all. Itโs painful to read your posts.
TwentyOne January 6, 2020 at 11:53 am
Adamhoward December 29, 2019 at 4:48 pm
โI have it on good authority that Latrell 100% will not don the green and red christmas elf Souths Pole jersey in 2020 or any year for that matter. 100% guarentee this is absolutely a fact.โ ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ
timmah January 2, 2020 at 8:34 am
โAre you serious Rhys? Canberra wonโt make the 8????
& Latrell Mitchell is NOT going to the vermin (they canโt afford him and Arrow)โฆ.my prediction, heโll go to the Gold Coast,โ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ
Rucky January 6, 2020 at 11:08 am
โThe big question in my mind is why have the Roosters rejected Latrell so completely.โ ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ
Yes, thats why Politis sent Fibber and Wobbo to Taree last week. I can assure you it wasnโt for the pizza.
It was about the fishing but unfortunately the bait they took with them had gone stale and way past its use by date.
Greed has buggered him.
Easts offered him $550/2020 and $1.6m for 21/22 now… He’s looking at $400/2020 with no certainty for beyond 2020
Greed is an incredible thing
Brennan.Lane January 6, 2020 at 12:06 pm
“Latrell if you remember was photographed with an under age girl apparently, before Origin 1.
Ring a bell anybody??????????
Now my beloved Rabbits want himto go with that other filth facebook flasher that the Nrl cleared but his wife did not clear. She knows what his helmet looks like.”
As predicted, the sleazy low budget attacks on Latrell have begun.
Well done Brennan.Lane your true colours as a disgruntled sour puss nobody have surfaced.
Sad sad man.
80% of the off season has consisted of Mitchell.
chookstain January 6, 2020 at 12:09 pm
“Greed has buggered him.
Easts offered him $550/2020 and $1.6m for 21/22 nowโฆ Heโs looking at $400/2020 with no certainty for beyond 2020
Greed is an incredible thing”
Get through your dimwit head chookstain, if it was about greed he would have stayed like all the other cap burglar poached ring ins at the sombreros.
It was about his lifelong passion to play for the Rabbitohs, the team he and his family have adored all his life.
As I told you from 2-3 months ago, Latrell is coming home to his beloved Rabbitohs.
Update.
The official announcement of Jai Arrow and Latrell Mitchell to the Rabbitohs is imminent.
The rooster driven media regarding Souths cap space is way off the mark.
My source has informed me (3/4 spot on) Josh Ado Carr has absolutely no interest in signing with the toxic culture at the roosters and negotiating on a fair deal to fulfill his desire to join Latrell and Cody at Souths.
Hahaha $400k Left in salary cap. And twentyone thinks souths are going to get both Mitchell and JAC for $400k. LOL.
TheRopeableRoosterJanuary 6, 2020 at 12:12 am
Mitchell will only sign for less than $800k for 2020 and will demand backended deals to make up for the $1m+ he originally wanted. Thats not returning home for the love of it.ย
With the welcoming home of Latrell Mitchell to his beloved Souths the most likely line up for R1 2020 in the backs will be:
1. Latrell Mtchell
2. Josh Ado Carr
3. James Roberts
4. Brayden Burns
5. Alex Johnston
6. Cody Walker
7. Adam Reynolds.
Presuming The Fox will arrive at a fair deal.
Shady21 Shame you have no forwards to feed that fictitious backline
So if you are the Roosters, Bunnies, Broncos or Storm you can pay what you like.
If you are one of the other 12 clubs you have to pay market value.
Seems about right.
Shady21 you linguistic retared, returning? Really?
He’s been with the Chooks since the age of 16. He came from Taree as a kid.
You’re a fool Shady21
Oh so the man child is having another tantrum? Get a grip Latrell, there are more pressing issues in the world than him.
Thatโs about right Kev, different rules for your mob and mine. Still, Iโm very happy for him to go to Souths.
How things have changed – Manly (rightly) are not among the 4 clubs youโve named.
LOL. I love that Mitchell is doing a Roosters to the Roosters.
Wish the Dragons had made a play for him though.
Brennsy, Latrell wasnt happy there.
It wasn’t about money.
He just wants to come home to his Rabbitohs.
Have you renewed your 2020 membership yet?
I’ve heard there’s a big rush commenced with the big news.
Looking at 35k before R1.
Brennan.Lane what is calling Ado Carr a “caveman” all about?
Oh and if Latrell signs with the Rabbitohs this just proves what a joke the NRL is. Burgess was medically retired, due to a new injury. If that happened to any other club then the said club would have to suck it up.
Well said panthergirl18
Twentyone. Nobody said JAC was a caveman apart from you. Why are you being racist?
Thanks, TheRopeableRooster. There are more pressing issues out there, with all the destruction from the drought, and the bushfires.
1. Latrell Mtchell – little left in the kitty so very unlikely to happen.
2. Josh Ado Carr – Storm want a decent replacement/compo for Josh so won’t happen
3. James Roberts
4. Brayden Burns
5. Alex Johnston
6. Cody Walker
7. Adam Reynolds.
Presuming The Fox will arrive at a fair deal – If by fair deal you mean cheap the forget it. Storm want compensation for Josh so won’t chip in.
Arrow has now been confirmed so it looks bleak for Mitchell.
Lidcombe thats fair it is the Chinese year of the Latrell
21, I notice you keep referring to Latrell as โComing homeโ….. He has had zero to do with Souths. Mmmm Taree must be a new suburb between Redfern and ??????
QLD is the word you’re looking for redv13
Great. Another opportunity for the Souths/Roosters dribblers to repeat all their posts again. Boring.
So itโs rabbits the nrl are wanting to win the Como this year now..
Firstly letting Inglis and surges โmedically โ retire and now letting them sign an 800k player for $400.
Itโs just not right what some clubs get
Don’t fret Bob. I think Souths will be lucky to make the top eight this year.
Panthers18 you do know Latrell was fighting the fires up in his hometown! As for the so called pay cut. Latrell was on 500k for the 2020 season payments are made monthly do the roosters have already payed over 100k hence the offer of 400k
2 very good points toody123.
I’m not sure how the NRL would count the salary in a case like this, but technically it would only be a 9 or 10 month contract, from an actual dollar perspective for the Bunnies.
I’m not saying it is, because I don’t know, but what an entirely different story this could actually be. If Latrell is helping out, in any capacity, with the fires, full credit to him, and even more so if the media genuinely don’t about it, because he’s just doing what he can. If the media do know and keep running stories about his contract, and putting their spin on it etc, well they’re even lower than I thought (and I don’t give them/their profession much credence at the best of times).
Imagine if the real story is “Mitchell was due to return to training with the Roosters on Monday, but he has instead been granted an absence of leave from the club” (because he’s doing everything he can for his community/for others).
Sorry toddy123. That was either spellcheck or a typo on my behalf (the toody123).
Latrell wonโt save the rabbits unfortunately. Bottom 8 material this year.
Eelsalmighty the media a hounded the hell out of Latrell. The media donโt hound arrow. As for the salary cap every contract registered in the nrl starts the 1st of November all players are payed monthly so by reports Mitchell was on 550k for the 2020 season the roosters have paid 3 months wage already @ 45000 a month this is why the rabbits only have to come up with 400k or the rabbits could pay him more if they chose to
Latrell’s signing to the Rabbitohs will be announced within a couple of days as I told you regarding both he and Jai Arrow.
How many times do I have to tell you wombat numskulls headed by Brennan.Lamebrain.
With due respect 21 you told all of us he was signed sealed and delivered last Friday. You can understand our skepticism cant you?
So if soufs get Mitchell this year they can only do it by NOT getting Arrow…..man they really ARE gonna get smashed in the forwards by EVERY team…..forwards win games = soufs wooden spoon 2020 ๐๐คฃ๐๐คฃ oh no, theyโre gonna choke AGAIN.
toddy123 yes I am aware of that. James Tamou did the same thing, and he is offering to home displaced people in his own home. The difference is Latrell is getting media coverage, James isn’t. I am getting sick to death of his contract dramas.
Brennan.Lane January 7, 2020 at 10:21 am
“Well looks like that indigenous red neck against white folk 21…….”
“Indigenous redneck?” Is that politically correctly possible?
BTW, I’m of European descent, 1st generation Australian but hold my european origins in much higher esteem than the mainstream bogan, ferals like yourself who think spaghetti bolognese is gourmet cuisine.
BTW, Latrell’s 1st day at training with Souths will be next Monday. Enter it in your calendar.
I donโt have a problem with Souths signing Mitchell for $400K for this season. As I understand it, he is on something like $500-550K with Easts for this year. If this soap opera continues until the end of January and Mitchell honours his Easts contract until heโs released by Easts (which he seems to be doing – Easts have excused him from training so itโs hard to think of anything that would be in breach by him of his contract save any future behavioural issues) it means that Easts will have effectively paid 25% of his contract and he would end up on roughly the same the same money for this year as he was on at Easts. To me, it would be unfair for the NRL to refuse to register a contract for this year which in effect puts him on pretty much the same money he was going to get anyway. Beyond 2020 is a different story so it might depend on whether the contract is for 2020 only.