Is Latrell Mitchell overrated?

[Wb1234]

I remember at the time the garbage being said abut how the roosters would regret Latrell leaving and he would be even more successful there etc which I found hard to believe at the time since he was an integral part of 2 premierships.

Even if he won a comp or two at souths the ROI we got on him was well worth it.

TBF, 2020-22 he regularly flogged us and they nearly won a comp but at the end of the day he's won nothing there and is now on a spoon calibre team (although I don't blame him for that).

You swapped him for suaali

Souths would think they got the better end of that deal

 

[Valheru]

You swapped him for suaali

Souths would think they got the better end of that deal

That's not true at all

Suali'i signed for the 2022 season and Latrell left end of 2019. Latrell also left by his own choice, he didn't want to be at the club anymore.

 

[Captain Apollo]

That's not true at all

Suali'i signed for the 2022 season and Latrell left end of 2019. Latrell also left by his own choice, he didn't want to be at the club anymore.

Yep. His manager at the time seemed more concerned about getting Latrell to Souths than anything else. That's when all the b/s appeared in the press about how Latrell was "always a fullback" and "never wanted to play centre" came about, at a time when fullbacks were amongst the highest paid players in the game.

When the announcement came Latrell was going to Souths for 2021, Politis and co gave him an early release from the final year of his Roosters contract to go to Souths for 2020.

 

[Wb1234]

That's not true at all

Suali'i signed for the 2022 season and Latrell left end of 2019. Latrell also left by his own choice, he didn't want to be at the club anymore.

He came back and wanted to stay and roosters had moved on since he tried to shop himself during the semi finals

Latrell was a huge loss at the time

South’s latrell sure coaches have been too soft on him but souths issues are getting rid of Reynolds etc not latrell

He’s been very good this year in a side running last

 

[Valheru]

He came back and wanted to stay and roosters had moved on since he tried to shop himself during the semi finals

Latrell was a huge loss at the time

South’s latrell sure coaches have been too soft on him but souths issues are getting rid of Reynolds etc not latrell

He’s been very good this year in a side running last

Oh I'm not saying he wasn't a big loss and agree he has been decent this year. I'm not a Latrell hater like a lot of other roosters fans.

Just pointing out that with the passing of time, we got better out of him than souths have so far.

 

[Vic Mackey]

Its a shame hes been injured so much this year as hes been fantastic on the field. Maybe not as explosive as he has been but certainly more consistent. Latrell was the difference in the tigers/souths game at campbelltown this year. Luai put some great short kicks in and Trell covered them all, getting out of his ingoal every time.

 

[Wb1234]

Oh I'm not saying he wasn't a big loss and agree he has been decent this year. I'm not a Latrell hater like a lot of other roosters fans.

Just pointing out that with the passing of time, we got better out of him than souths have so far.

Roosters latrell was on another level

Wasn’t carrying the side and was heaps fitter

Maybe centre is his best position

Souths are a rabble so that plays into his form and perception of him as a player

I don’t think he will show his real potential consistently anymore which is a shame he lets the negative stuff on social media upset him too much

 

[yobbo84]

Its a shame hes been injured so much this year as hes been fantastic on the field. Maybe not as explosive as he has been but certainly more consistent. Latrell was the difference in the tigers/souths game at campbelltown this year. Luai put some great short kicks in and Trell covered them all, getting out of his ingoal every time.

He was 100% better this year. The most focussed I've seen him on and off the field. Cleaning up kicks, running the ball back willingly, kicking, creating tries.. he was doing it all. If he had his 2025 form in 2021-2022, we win the competition.

Unfortunately, his body is just not up to fullback. The fact he's broken down in SIX consecutive seasons, after pretty much never getting injured at the Roosters, and neither he nor anyone at Souths wants to address that.... is a massive problem.

 

[Valheru]

He was 100% better this year. The most focussed I've seen him on and off the field. Cleaning up kicks, running the ball back willingly, kicking, creating tries.. he was doing it all. If he had his 2025 form in 2021-2022, we win the competition.

Unfortunately, his body is just not up to fullback. The fact he's broken down in SIX consecutive seasons, after pretty much never getting injured at the Roosters, and neither he nor anyone at Souths wants to address that.... is a massive problem.

The Bennett effect. It will be the same next year and with some injury luck he will be an elite player again. I've not been one to bag him as a FB as others have but the injury stuff is a big deal and for that reason they should put him back to centre.

Souths in general will be a lot better next year as surely they don't face the same injury toll and with that Latrell will naturally excel.

Be very careful about what you say re: 2021-22. The mere mention of the fact that he didn't play in the 2021 GF and the possibility he COULD have made a difference in an arm wrestle 2 point game really grinds PENRITH fans gears.

 

[soc123_au]

Be very careful about what you say re: 2021-22. The mere mention of the fact that he didn't play in the 2021 GF and the possibility he COULD have made a difference in an arm wrestle 2 point game really grinds PENRITH fans gears.

Not really, It's just serious cope. His record against us since he has been at Souffs is all you need to look at. If anything he plays the 2021 Finals series we win week 1 and Souffs go out in straight sets.

If they jag it and make it to the GF then it's a similar result to the 22 prelim where he did play. 32-12 to save you looking it up.

Latrell is a great player when he is on, but his style doesn't match up well against us.

 

[Brutus]

In a perfect world, I would like Souths to piss Mitchell off at the end of the season.

Jye Gray must be fullback next year.

 

[Munky]

Not really, It's just serious cope. His record against us since he has been at Souffs is all you need to look at. If anything he plays the 2021 Finals series we win week 1 and Souffs go out in straight sets.

If they jag it and make it to the GF then it's a similar result to the 22 prelim where he did play. 32-12 to save you looking it up.

Latrell is a great player when he is on, but his style doesn't match up well against us.

In the 2022 prelim he literally gave in after Leota lined him up.

To be fair so did the entire Parra pack a week later after receiving he same treatment.

 

[yobbo84]

Not really, It's just serious cope. His record against us since he has been at Souffs is all you need to look at. If anything he plays the 2021 Finals series we win week 1 and Souffs go out in straight sets.

If they jag it and make it to the GF then it's a similar result to the 22 prelim where he did play. 32-12 to save you looking it up.

Latrell is a great player when he is on, but his style doesn't match up well against us.

TBF this is why I said if 2025 Latrell played this way in 2021-22... he didn't play that way back then. This year his kick defence and clean up has been top notch.

Anyway, with or without Latrell the only reason you won 2021 (and 2023..) is because Adam Reynolds went MIA in both GFs. Alas, that's a whole 'nother thread.

 

[Chins]

Never been a fullback but he'd be worth a shot at 6 for his last few years.

 

[yobbo84]

Never been a fullback but he'd be worth a shot at 6 for his last few years.

Honestly my first choice spine for 2026 is:

1. Gray 6. Mitchell 7. Walker 9. Smith 13. Murray

 

[Chins]

Honestly my first choice spine for 2026 is:

1. Gray 6. Mitchell 7. Walker 9. Smith 13. Murray

Surely it would keep him available for more games with less running.

 

[Chins]

The Bennett effect. It will be the same next year and with some injury luck he will be an elite player again. I've not been one to bag him as a FB as others have but the injury stuff is a big deal and for that reason they should put him back to centre.

Souths in general will be a lot better next year as surely they don't face the same injury toll and with that Latrell will naturally excel.

Be very careful about what you say re: 2021-22. The mere mention of the fact that he didn't play in the 2021 GF and the possibility he COULD have made a difference in an arm wrestle 2 point game really grinds PENRITH fans gears.

His record v Penrith at fullback is something like 10 losses and 1 win. Nathan just moves him around at will.

 

[Murishido]

Yep. His manager at the time seemed more concerned about getting Latrell to Souths than anything else. That's when all the b/s appeared in the press about how Latrell was "always a fullback" and "never wanted to play centre" came about, at a time when fullbacks were amongst the highest paid players in the game.

When the announcement came Latrell was going to Souths for 2021, Politis and co gave him an early release from the final year of his Roosters contract to go to Souths for 2020.

And in reality if we'd kept him on fullback money we'd have probably lost Manu earlier.

 

[Murishido]

The Bennett effect. It will be the same next year and with some injury luck he will be an elite player again. I've not been one to bag him as a FB as others have but the injury stuff is a big deal and for that reason they should put him back to centre.

It's not just injuries, the suspensions haven't helped.

A back shouldn't be losing something like 20% of his season to suspension

 

[soc123_au]

TBF this is why I said if 2025 Latrell played this way in 2021-22... he didn't play that way back then. This year his kick defence and clean up has been top notch.

Anyway, with or without Latrell the only reason you won 2021 (and 2023..) is because Adam Reynolds went MIA in both GFs. Alas, that's a whole 'nother thread.

Yeah, I did see you mentioned on this years form. It's a small sample size though given how much time he has missed, not sure he has it in him to do that for a full season.

In our dominant era we see to have more trouble when the team has a less dynamic and more your worker type fullback. Parra for example with Gutho have always given us problems 22 GF aside. Cleary kicks the flashy ones to death, it was kicking game that won it in 21, I honestly think Taffe handled it heaps better than Trell would have.

ARey I dont remember much from the 21 GF apart from missing the final conversion. He was a passenger for sure in 23.