South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett has closed the door on suggestions that Latrell Mitchell's next contract should have unique clauses due to his injury history at the club.
Mitchell is off-contract at the end of the 2027 NRL season, meaning he can speak to rival clubs from November 1 this year if he isn't locked up by Souths beforehand.
Reports emerged through the week that given Mitchell's tough run of injuries in the seven years he's been at the club should play a role in his value for 2028.
Mitchell has played 95 games in cardinal and myrtle since his arrival in 2020, whereas he played more games
(96) at the Sydney Roosters from 2016 to 2019.
Despite a disrupted timeline since his arrival in Redfern, Bennett has labelled it a "terrible" decision to have his superstar centre tied up on how many games he can get through.
"It's a terrible idea. I'm not interested in that," Bennett said to media on Thursday.
"It's just a bit of misfortune that players have problems. It's not because him or Tom don't do all the work and all the training or whatever.
"You've either got a contract or you haven't, you're not going to make one up for how many games you play or something like that.
"That's not going to happen. Not in the good clubs, anyway."
Mitchell has been battling calf and back problems throughout 2026, which is a result of nerve issues, in which he has been seeing a neurologist to get him back on the field to secure a finals position this year.
Bennett says he is Mitchell is doing all he can to return to the playing field in hopes of a return before the end of the regular season.
"He does too, he wants to play. It's not that he's trying to avoid playing. It's something we've got no control over," Bennett said.
"We've got good people around him, experts in their field. We've just got to wait and see."
One of the premier talents in the game, Mitchell has yet to play over 20 games in a season in the seven years he's been at South Sydney.
Following his NR debut in 2016, Mitchell played over 20 matches in every season at the tri-colours, while notching back-to-back premierships in 2018 and 2019.
The Rabbitohs are in the midst of a congested ladder, currently sitting in seventh place.
They remain on 24 points, tied with the Cowboys, while the Sea Eagles and Bulldogs are hot on their tail trailing by only one win, with Manly still having a bye up their sleeve.
It makes it crucial for Mitchell to return this year to invigorate another level of spark in their attack.
South Sydney hosts the Melbourne Storm on Friday night.
