Latrell Mitchell Signs

[Mr Spock!]

Cody and Latrell have a dance

 

[Souths Till I Die]

Thanks mate. I know I'll get a fair & reasonable response from you whether you agree or not.

Was just chatting to a Roosters supporter. Round 3 is going to be a huge game that I'm really looking forward to watching.
We can be sure that the Easts players will test Mitchell out. A real trial by fire I reckon that should bring out his best. If it does & LM plays well [which would be a very good sign for the rest of the season] I'll be the first to offer my congrats.

Mate the beauty of us signing Latrell is that it really does add fuel to the fire. We riled up Crichton and Cronk last year so I expect the roosters to do the exact same to Mitchell. The players get into the rivalry as well which I reckon is always good to watch. I will be heading down to the round 3 game with a roosters mate so I really do hope we win .

 

[Rabbits20]

Mate the beauty of us signing Latrell is that it really does add fuel to the fire. We riled up Crichton and Cronk last year so I expect the roosters to do the exact same to Mitchell. The players get into the rivalry as well which I reckon is always good to watch. I will be heading down to the round 3 game with a roosters mate so I really do hope we win .

I’ll see you there mate, I’m going with my Roosters mate too.

I’ll email you, we will have to catch up for a chat before the game mate.

 

[callmack1]

From Sporting News,

Latrell Mitchell could prove 'unstoppable' for Rabbitohs, says George Burgess

Latrell Mitchell could prove "unstoppable" at full-back for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, according to former Bunnies prop George Burgess.

Mitchell completed a move to Souths earlier this month after agreeing a departure from city rivals Sydney Roosters.

The representative star for the New South Wales Blues and Kangaroos has made it clear he hopes to feature at full-back for his new club, having operated at centre for the Roosters in recent seasons.

Asked about his ex-club's capture of Mitchell, Burgess, who has joined Super League side Wigan Warriors, made it clear he expected big things from the 22-year-old.

"I think it's a great signing," Burgess told Omnisport at the Super League season launch.

"He's already achieved so much in the game, [winning] two Grand Finals, and he's got such a massive amount of talent.

"So I think if they can get him into [the] shape of a full-back ... and get him really trim and fit he's gonna be unstoppable in that position."

With Sam Burgess now retired and brother George having moved to Wigan, Souths have also made a notable addition to their forward pack, bringing in Jai Arrow from Gold Coast Titans.

Arrow is set to link up with the Bunnies from the start of the 2021 season, although the club remain keen to fast-track his arrival if possible.

"He's an absolute machine in the forward world in the NRL, what he does in the Origin," said George Burgess of Arrow.

"I think it will be great to see him in a team like South Sydney if he can get there for 2020. He's relied on heavily in the Gold Coast team so I think to have some more high-quality players around him, it will be great to see what he can do."

 

[SBD82]

That's pretty sad.
This forum is ok, the Souths members seem pretty OK, it's the other boofheads that come on here, which is surprising in a way, because other sports forums I visit, like NBA, you have to join a particular team's forum, you can't just join one forum and be free for all forums. It prevents trolls getting on just to harass and be boofheads.
Also, I've seen other team's forums on here, it's pretty disgraceful what is posted, you'd be instantly banned if you posted that stuff on, e.g.. NBA team's forums. Kids can read this stuff and be exposed to this, that's really bad.

The Dragons have a closed forum on LU. And we still have some fans from other clubs allowed in.

One of the beauties of LU is that there is regular interaction with fans from other clubs. I find it improves my enjoyment of the rivalries, and I also find camaraderie in unexpected places.

Maybe spend more than a month on a forum before you start crapping on it.

 

[callmack1]

Bennett holds the key to Latrell's Origin hopes - Fittler: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2020/02/04/bennett-holds-the-key-to-latrells-origin-hopes-fittler/

 

[Legion]

Bennett holds the key to Latrell's Origin hopes - Fittler: https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/news/2020/02/04/bennett-holds-the-key-to-latrells-origin-hopes-fittler/

Everyone is saying the same thing.
George Burgess said it. Footy supporters have been saying it and Freddy is saying it.

Quote from the provided link; Fittler "A lot has got to happen for Latrell. His fitness is going to play a big part. It's a very different position to the one he plays at the Roosters. He's going to cover twice as much distance as he was playing centre so he's going to have to work hard."

Exactly. It's easy to see that Freddy is hoping for the best & is hoping that Mitchell understands that he really needs to put in. "When he's in love with the game he's outstanding, ...."

It's what most of us have been saying. LM has the potential. The size, the speed, the fend. Shit, I'm not even sure if he's got a good side-step because he tends to go straight over the opposition.

As Souths fans, if you want LM to succeed then stop blowing smoke up his arse, slapping him on the back & telling him how good he is. He's heads swollen enough already.
He's not there yet. He certainly has the potential to be an absolute nightmare for opposition teams.
But, as Freddy said, "he's going to have to work hard."

Seeing how Mitchell goes this year is a huge point of interest for many lovers of the game.
Those of us who aren't looking through rose-coloured glasses can see that it could go either way; hero or what could have been?

 

[Souths Till I Die]

Everyone is saying the same thing.
George Burgess said it. Footy supporters have been saying it and Freddy is saying it.

Quote from the provided link; Fittler "A lot has got to happen for Latrell. His fitness is going to play a big part. It's a very different position to the one he plays at the Roosters. He's going to cover twice as much distance as he was playing centre so he's going to have to work hard."

Exactly. It's easy to see that Freddy is hoping for the best & is hoping that Mitchell understands that he really needs to put in. "When he's in love with the game he's outstanding, ...."

It's what most of us have been saying. LM has the potential. The size, the speed, the fend. Shit, I'm not even sure if he's got a good side-step because he tends to go straight over the opposition.

As Souths fans, if you want LM to succeed then stop blowing smoke up his arse, slapping him on the back & telling him how good he is. He's heads swollen enough already.
He's not there yet. He certainly has the potential to be an absolute nightmare for opposition teams.
But, as Freddy said, "he's going to have to work hard."

Seeing how Mitchell goes this year is a huge point of interest for many lovers of the game.
Those of us who aren't looking through rose-coloured glasses can see that it could go either way; hero or what could have been?

“As Souths fans, if you want LM to succeed then stop blowing smoke up his arse, slapping him on the back & telling him how good he is. He's heads swollen enough already.”

There isn’t only one way to train a player. Players respond differently to different approaches. Some players respond better to coaches who are sympathetic and care about their welfare. Other players respond better to coaches who push them hard and push them to the next level. You can’t really say that one approach is going to work better than the other for Latrell.

None of us are blind though. We can see Latrell is not at his ideal playing weight but Latrell doesn’t have a slim build. Journo’s are playing the fat card without realising that a lot of Latrell’s power comes from the way he is built. There’s no certainty that if he shred a lot of the weight he would be the same player. You’re going to hate me saying this but GI was the exact same. Even at his peak his body wasn’t exactly athletic looking.

To put it in perspective Latrell is 1.93cm tall and entered our camp at 108kg.
James Tedesco is 1.84cm at 95kg
Tom Trbojevic is 1.94cm and 102kg.

To be at an ideal body weight Latrell really only has to lose 5kg and even then weight has nothing to do with cardiovascular fitness. They’re not directly correlated.

 

[Legion]

“As Souths fans, if you want LM to succeed then stop blowing smoke up his arse, slapping him on the back & telling him how good he is. He's heads swollen enough already.”

There isn’t only one way to train a player. Players respond differently to different approaches. Some players respond better to coaches who are sympathetic and care about their welfare. Other players respond better to coaches who push them hard and push them to the next level. You can’t really say that one approach is going to work better than the other for Latrell.

None of us are blind though. We can see Latrell is not at his ideal playing weight but Latrell doesn’t have a slim build. Journo’s are playing the fat card without realising that a lot of Latrell’s power comes from the way he is built. There’s no certainty that if he shred a lot of the weight he would be the same player. You’re going to hate me saying this but GI was the exact same. Even at his peak his body wasn’t exactly athletic looking.

To put it in perspective Latrell is 1.93cm tall and entered our camp at 108kg.
James Tedesco is 1.84cm at 95kg
Tom Trbojevic is 1.94cm and 102kg.

To be at an ideal body weight Latrell really only has to lose 5kg and even then weight has nothing to do with cardiovascular fitness. They’re not directly correlated.

Yes you're right on many points. I absolutely see the similarities between GI & LM body type.

I've got a real attitude about GI when he deserted NSW, his place of birth & where he grew up, to play for the Cane Toads. There's no excuse for such treachery, such disloyalty. If it was anyone else it would not have been allowed. [The double standards make me sick]

But, GI was an excellent FB, no doubts about it. A big unit with natural talent. He could read a game & anticipate, something that's really important for a FB, especially in defense. I've yet to see that same quality in Mitchell.

Tedesco is incredibly fit. Tommy Turbo also. I can't remember seeing either of them being out of position, with hands on hips, sucking in air. We saw a lot of that from LM at the Roosters playing centre.
Often he'd run, pass the ball, then hang back as if he'd done his bit.

Teddy & Turbo will run, pass & continue to back-up. Mitchell will need to do the same if he wants to reach their status as a FB.

There was a good discussion on another thread somewhere about how some players do really well under a hard task master while others respond better to Wayne Bennetts style [Not that I think that the hard task masters don't care about their players welfare or are unsympathetic, it's just their style of coaching] I can see why many are saying that LM will respond well to Bennetts style of coaching.

And yes, you're absolutely correct that 5kg isn't a lot to lose. Mitchells size & strength is one of his assets. I've said it all along that LM has the potential to be every bit as good as GI, Tommy or Tedesco. Absolutely.
Most will agree on that. That's not what we're questioning. Reading Fittlers comments shows that his only concern is fitness. It's the only thing that will get in Mitchells way of reaching his full potential.

It all boils down to attitude. LM has been given what he wants. The ball is now in his court.
The question is, does he have the determination & right attitude to put in 100%?
That's what will determine whether he succeeds at FB or not, his attitude.
What he's shown so far, at Easts & turning up to Souths training under done, is what is putting doubt in peoples minds.

Mitchell needs to be fitter than he's ever been. That's the point. As yet we're not seeing that.

 

[marshall stalin]

I can see him bombing at fullback - reason different playing juniors in this position than NRL level - juniors there is hardly any focus on defence and he will be really tested in this area plus with all types of kicks- also he was not big on running the ball back at the chooks. You might have purchased a dud

 

[marshall stalin]

Cody and Latrell have a dance

Invasion day???? - try a real invasion that being the 22nd June 1941

 

[Souths Till I Die]

Yes you're right on many points. I absolutely see the similarities between GI & LM body type.

I've got a real attitude about GI when he deserted NSW, his place of birth & where he grew up, to play for the Cane Toads. There's no excuse for such treachery, such disloyalty. If it was anyone else it would not have been allowed. [The double standards make me sick]

But, GI was an excellent FB, no doubts about it. A big unit with natural talent. He could read a game & anticipate, something that's really important for a FB, especially in defense. I've yet to see that same quality in Mitchell.

Tedesco is incredibly fit. Tommy Turbo also. I can't remember seeing either of them being out of position, with hands on hips, sucking in air. We saw a lot of that from LM at the Roosters playing centre.
Often he'd run, pass the ball, then hang back as if he'd done his bit.

Teddy & Turbo will run, pass & continue to back-up. Mitchell will need to do the same if he wants to reach their status as a FB.

There was a good discussion on another thread somewhere about how some players do really well under a hard task master while others respond better to Wayne Bennetts style [Not that I think that the hard task masters don't care about their players welfare or are unsympathetic, it's just their style of coaching] I can see why many are saying that LM will respond well to Bennetts style of coaching.

And yes, you're absolutely correct that 5kg isn't a lot to lose. Mitchells size & strength is one of his assets. I've said it all along that LM has the potential to be every bit as good as GI, Tommy or Tedesco. Absolutely.
Most will agree on that. That's not what we're questioning. Reading Fittlers comments shows that his only concern is fitness. It's the only thing that will get in Mitchells way of reaching his full potential.

It all boils down to attitude. LM has been given what he wants. The ball is now in his court.
The question is, does he have the determination & right attitude to put in 100%?
That's what will determine whether he succeeds at FB or not, his attitude.
What he's shown so far, at Easts & turning up to Souths training under done, is what is putting doubt in peoples minds.

Mitchell needs to be fitter than he's ever been. That's the point. As yet we're not seeing that.

Tbh I couldn’t care less about origin purely because everyone talks about state loyalty but the coaches and fans don’t give a shit as long as they win. There is no such thing as loyalty in origin. It’s just about who can put the best team together. I don’t blame GI for defecting to Queensland especially if he identifies with Queensland. Keary tried to do the same thing but was knocked back.

See I think that’s where we’re going to have to agree to disagree. I actually think Mitchell’s support play is way beyond the average fullback. Very often in his highlights you will see the reason he makes a huge play is because he’s running support or he makes a pass and continues to support.

As for his fitness we can’t really make an assessment on that until the season starts. To be honest I’m quite into my health, fitness and gym. I used to play footy when I was younger and I still like to stay in shape. However personally (because I’m not on steroids) I do find that I can’t put muscle on unless I put fat on as well. So I will always go through mini bulking and cutting cycles. I’m not saying Latrell is intentionally putting on weight in the off season but I’m also not totally against it. I think as long as Latrell is in shape for the actual season and is up to speed with all his fitness tests by round 1 then there’s not really anything to worry about.

I personally have never seen a lot of our players in better shape than the last couple of years as well. Reynolds, Walker, Roberts are all looking exceptional and I’m not saying Souths fitness regime is better than any clubs but I do know that Souths help their players a lot with nutrition and we put a lot of effort into making sure our players are as fit as possible. I don’t expect fireworks from Latrell in the first round but I don’t expect his fitness to be what’s holding him back I think it might just take some time for him to adjust to being a first grade fullback. It’s the hardest position on the field without a doubt.

 

[Legion]

Tbh I couldn’t care less about origin purely because everyone talks about state loyalty but the coaches and fans don’t give a shit as long as they win. There is no such thing as loyalty in origin. It’s just about who can put the best team together. I don’t blame GI for defecting to Queensland especially if he identifies with Queensland. Keary tried to do the same thing but was knocked back.

See I think that’s where we’re going to have to agree to disagree. I actually think Mitchell’s support play is way beyond the average fullback. Very often in his highlights you will see the reason he makes a huge play is because he’s running support or he makes a pass and continues to support.

As for his fitness we can’t really make an assessment on that until the season starts. To be honest I’m quite into my health, fitness and gym. I used to play footy when I was younger and I still like to stay in shape. However personally (because I’m not on steroids) I do find that I can’t put muscle on unless I put fat on as well. So I will always go through mini bulking and cutting cycles. I’m not saying Latrell is intentionally putting on weight in the off season but I’m also not totally against it. I think as long as Latrell is in shape for the actual season and is up to speed with all his fitness tests by round 1 then there’s not really anything to worry about.

I personally have never seen a lot of our players in better shape than the last couple of years as well. Reynolds, Walker, Roberts are all looking exceptional and I’m not saying Souths fitness regime is better than any clubs but I do know that Souths help their players a lot with nutrition and we put a lot of effort into making sure our players are as fit as possible. I don’t expect fireworks from Latrell in the first round but I don’t expect his fitness to be what’s holding him back I think it might just take some time for him to adjust to being a first grade fullback. It’s the hardest position on the field without a doubt.

True, that's why all eyes will be on LM, especially during the first part of the season.
It's a lot of pressure for a young bloke, especially considering all the drama before he joined Souths.

Off course Mitchell backs up in the sense that he's there to take a pass when a teammate makes a break. What I'm saying is that I can't remember him backing up often AFTER he's had a run & passed the ball. Once he's passed the ball after a run, that's when he tends to stand back with hands on hips.

Is that a reflection of his fitness, attitude, or a bit of both? It's also possible that those times when he does have a bludge it's influenced my memory.
Last season I can clearly remember when Mitchell made a break, passed the ball, then stood still with hands on hips. On both of those occasions he would have scored had he been backing up after he passed the ball. An opportunity gone begging.

Clearly there was something going on with the young fella last year. Was he unhappy at Easts? Personal issues? I don't know but there were times when his head wasn't in the game.

There's similarities between Mitchell & Jarryd Hayne. Big, fast, sheer natural talent & an attitude that got in his way. Hayne was one of those players who had smoke blown up his arse from a young age. People were always making excuses for him. What a dead set dickhead. And talk about a wasted talent.
Apparently Fittler had the same issue until someone got through to him & turned him around.

Like LM, when the stars aligned & he was in the mood, Hayne was a wrecking ball on the field. He had the potential to have been an Immortal.
I'd honestly hate to see Mitchell go down the same path. Let's hope that Bennett is the man who can turn him around.

And yes, it is the hardest position on the field with a high work rate required. It will take time for him to settle in. I hope you're not in the minority of Souths supporters who understands this.

How many games do you think would be a reasonable expectation for him to adjust?

 

[Souths Till I Die]

True, that's why all eyes will be on LM, especially during the first part of the season.
It's a lot of pressure for a young bloke, especially considering all the drama before he joined Souths.

Off course Mitchell backs up in the sense that he's there to take a pass when a teammate makes a break. What I'm saying is that I can't remember him backing up often AFTER he's had a run & passed the ball. Once he's passed the ball after a run, that's when he tends to stand back with hands on hips.

Is that a reflection of his fitness, attitude, or a bit of both? It's also possible that those times when he does have a bludge it's influenced my memory.
Last season I can clearly remember when Mitchell made a break, passed the ball, then stood still with hands on hips. On both of those occasions he would have scored had he been backing up after he passed the ball. An opportunity gone begging.

Clearly there was something going on with the young fella last year. Was he unhappy at Easts? Personal issues? I don't know but there were times when his head wasn't in the game.

There's similarities between Mitchell & Jarryd Hayne. Big, fast, sheer natural talent & an attitude that got in his way. Hayne was one of those players who had smoke blown up his arse from a young age. People were always making excuses for him. What a dead set dickhead. And talk about a wasted talent.
Apparently Fittler had the same issue until someone got through to him & turned him around.

Like LM, when the stars aligned & he was in the mood, Hayne was a wrecking ball on the field. He had the potential to have been an Immortal.
I'd honestly hate to see Mitchell go down the same path. Let's hope that Bennett is the man who can turn him around.

And yes, it is the hardest position on the field with a high work rate required. It will take time for him to settle in. I hope you're not in the minority of Souths supporters who understands this.

How many games do you think would be a reasonable expectation for him to adjust?

I completely agree there is a lot of pressure on Latrell but I haven’t seen him stop smiling since he’s joined. In his press conference as soon as he did join he was beaming the whole time and answering questions really well. When people shot questions at him such as “do you see yourself as a fullback?” He responded with “ive been playing fullback my whole juniors and never centres. Put me back there and see what happens.” To me that’s a kid with a lot of confidence and I don’t think pressure is going to be issue. It seems he thrives off the pressure.

I kind of see where you’re coming from but I’ll have to look at his highlights more closely to have an educated opinion on this. Do you remember the game by any chance?

I do really think his laziness and attitude has been blown way out of proportion by the media because he’s a very confident young man. I do know he has lapses in defence in the centres. I’ve seen him make lazy ass attempts at tackles and that’s definitely something that I would be hoping he improves on if he’s going to be last man at fullback! People talk about him fading in and out of games but so do a lot of players playing in the centres. I’m firmly in the camp that believes he hasn’t really been given a fair go at fullback yet.

Unlike other Souths fans I actually don’t know how to comment on how he was feeling at the Roosters. He once told the media that he wanted to be a one club man at the roosters. I guess a question that needs to be asked is what changed his mind? Is it really JUST because he wants to play fullback? or has something happened at the Roosters that nobody wants to talk about? I’m leaning towards the second option because I don’t know many people that would want to change clubs (a very successful one too) just like that because of a positional change.

I definitely get where you’re coming from with Hayne but Hayne was surrounded by really toxic people off the field and got into some stupid shit. I don’t see Latrell and Hayne’s personalities as the same. Latrell is all about family, culture and Taree. He hasn’t really been caught up in any off field fiasco’s and seems to be pretty focused on footy. Hayne was a bit of a dickhead and definitely got up to dodgy shit off the field, hanging with the wrong type of people. I think this influences your game on the field as well.

I’m giving Latrell at least the first season to ease into the position. I don’t see Souths as a premiership threat in 2020. I think 2021 is our year and some wildcard team will win it this year. I think the tigers, bulldogs and panthers are all due for big years so maybe there’s one of your wildcard teams!

 

[Legion]

I completely agree there is a lot of pressure on Latrell but I haven’t seen him stop smiling since he’s joined. In his press conference as soon as he did join he was beaming the whole time and answering questions really well. When people shot questions at him such as “do you see yourself as a fullback?” He responded with “ive been playing fullback my whole juniors and never centres. Put me back there and see what happens.” To me that’s a kid with a lot of confidence and I don’t think pressure is going to be issue. It seems he thrives off the pressure.

I kind of see where you’re coming from but I’ll have to look at his highlights more closely to have an educated opinion on this. Do you remember the game by any chance?

I do really think his laziness and attitude has been blown way out of proportion by the media because he’s a very confident young man. I do know he has lapses in defence in the centres. I’ve seen him make lazy ass attempts at tackles and that’s definitely something that I would be hoping he improves on if he’s going to be last man at fullback! People talk about him fading in and out of games but so do a lot of players playing in the centres. I’m firmly in the camp that believes he hasn’t really been given a fair go at fullback yet.

Unlike other Souths fans I actually don’t know how to comment on how he was feeling at the Roosters. He once told the media that he wanted to be a one club man at the roosters. I guess a question that needs to be asked is what changed his mind? Is it really JUST because he wants to play fullback? or has something happened at the Roosters that nobody wants to talk about? I’m leaning towards the second option because I don’t know many people that would want to change clubs (a very successful one too) just like that because of a positional change.

I definitely get where you’re coming from with Hayne but Hayne was surrounded by really toxic people off the field and got into some stupid shit. I don’t see Latrell and Hayne’s personalities as the same. Latrell is all about family, culture and Taree. He hasn’t really been caught up in any off field fiasco’s and seems to be pretty focused on footy. Hayne was a bit of a dickhead and definitely got up to dodgy shit off the field, hanging with the wrong type of people. I think this influences your game on the field as well.

I’m giving Latrell at least the first season to ease into the position. I don’t see Souths as a premiership threat in 2020. I think 2021 is our year and some wildcard team will win it this year. I think the tigers, bulldogs and panthers are all due for big years so maybe there’s one of your wildcard teams!

Mitchell better be happy. He's got a fresh start at a club that's welcomed him with open arms & given him his preferred position.
At Easts he was surrounded by rep players, just one of the boys. [Which I would have thought would be the best environment for a young player with so much talent & potential] At Souths he is The star player.

His confidence is a good sign for sure. Still, it is a reflection of an attitude if not playing FB was the excuse for not putting in 100%.
Which game against whom? Buggered if I can remember. It was late in the season. One of the last few games before the finals IIRC.

Someone actually posted a pic here at the forum somewhere of the incident. LM had made a break down the left side of the field then passed. His teammate ran the ball & was looking for backup as he only had the FB to beat.
A front on pic showed this play at around that point. The camera was focused on the player with the ball. In the blurry background of the pic was LM with hands on hips way back where he had passed the ball.
That pic has stuck in my mind so it's odd that I can't remember the other details.

You give him an entire season? That's generous. Considering his confidence & the "Put me back there & see what happens." comment, I would be expecting him to slot in much quicker.
A lot will be expected of him. Although as you say, 2020 is a rebuilding year for Souths, so maybe Bennett will be more patient & give him more time to adjust than when the team were genuine contenders.

"Hayne was surrounded by really toxic people off the field" gee that's a bit harsh. Church goers aren't that bad ....... oh you mean the thugs & gang members. Right, my bad. lol
Yes that's where the similarities with Hayne end. My father was a preacher & I grew up in the church.
It still never ceases to amaze me how some go out whoring & drinking one day, then off to church the next.
Two sex charges against him show that at the very least, that Haynes sense of morality leaves a lot to be desired.
Hayne is a good warning to other young blokes with a heap of disposable income & too much idle time; 'He that layeth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.'

This year WILL reveal whether the 'bludger' tag has been unfairly pinned on Mitchell. There's no hiding at FB. The "lazy ass" attempts in defence is one area of concern. He'll leak tries if caught out of position. We can be sure that teams will target him. At least until he proves himself.
[Round 3 against the Roosters is a game I'm highly anticipating. The media will beat that one up for certain]

It's a funny game. Only a few months ago many of us Tiger fans saw 2020 as a rebuilding year. With a few decent signings we now see ourselves playing finals footy.
After so many years of dysfunction & terrible decisions [Appointing that sneering little creep Jason Taylor as coach was the worst. Then Clearly who sabotaged us by signing ridiculous contracts before fleeing to Penrith after repeated assurances "I'm not going anywhere", was a close 2nd] we now see hope under Maguire. I rate the bloke highly.

I must say, it's nice to be able to discuss an issue with someone with a different perspective & be able to agree to disagree in a courteous manner. Respect.

 

[Legion]

@Souths Till I Die re Hayne ".... hanging with the wrong type of people. I think this influences your game on the field as well."

Absolutely. From what I've heard, Hayne also brought his attitude to training.
Haynes biggest problem was that he thought that sheer natural ability was enough. That might be right at schoolboy level but once one's in 1st grade it's a different story.

Having a close family & community ties will work in Latrells favour for sure.
I'm reminded of something Pat Rafter said when he was asked what kept him down to earth.
Rafter was from a big family and said that his siblings did an excellent job of keeping him from developing a swelled head.

For Mitchells sake, hopefully his family has the same influence.

 

[Souths Till I Die]

Mitchell better be happy. He's got a fresh start at a club that's welcomed him with open arms & given him his preferred position.
At Easts he was surrounded by rep players, just one of the boys. [Which I would have thought would be the best environment for a young player with so much talent & potential] At Souths he is The star player.

His confidence is a good sign for sure. Still, it is a reflection of an attitude if not playing FB was the excuse for not putting in 100%.
Which game against whom? Buggered if I can remember. It was late in the season. One of the last few games before the finals IIRC.

Someone actually posted a pic here at the forum somewhere of the incident. LM had made a break down the left side of the field then passed. His teammate ran the ball & was looking for backup as he only had the FB to beat.
A front on pic showed this play at around that point. The camera was focused on the player with the ball. In the blurry background of the pic was LM with hands on hips way back where he had passed the ball.
That pic has stuck in my mind so it's odd that I can't remember the other details.

You give him an entire season? That's generous. Considering his confidence & the "Put me back there & see what happens." comment, I would be expecting him to slot in much quicker.
A lot will be expected of him. Although as you say, 2020 is a rebuilding year for Souths, so maybe Bennett will be more patient & give him more time to adjust than when the team were genuine contenders.

"Hayne was surrounded by really toxic people off the field" gee that's a bit harsh. Church goers aren't that bad ....... oh you mean the thugs & gang members. Right, my bad. lol
Yes that's where the similarities with Hayne end. My father was a preacher & I grew up in the church.
It still never ceases to amaze me how some go out whoring & drinking one day, then off to church the next.
Two sex charges against him show that at the very least, that Haynes sense of morality leaves a lot to be desired.
Hayne is a good warning to other young blokes with a heap of disposable income & too much idle time; 'He that layeth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.'

This year WILL reveal whether the 'bludger' tag has been unfairly pinned on Mitchell. There's no hiding at FB. The "lazy ass" attempts in defence is one area of concern. He'll leak tries if caught out of position. We can be sure that teams will target him. At least until he proves himself.
[Round 3 against the Roosters is a game I'm highly anticipating. The media will beat that one up for certain]

It's a funny game. Only a few months ago many of us Tiger fans saw 2020 as a rebuilding year. With a few decent signings we now see ourselves playing finals footy.
After so many years of dysfunction & terrible decisions [Appointing that sneering little creep Jason Taylor as coach was the worst. Then Clearly who sabotaged us by signing ridiculous contracts before fleeing to Penrith after repeated assurances "I'm not going anywhere", was a close 2nd] we now see hope under Maguire. I rate the bloke highly.

I must say, it's nice to be able to discuss an issue with someone with a different perspective & be able to agree to disagree in a courteous manner. Respect.

I guess it also depends on how you look at it as well. Would you rather seize the opportunity at making your own name at a brand new club or would you rather continue playing in a dominant team where you’re probably not appreciated as much. I think Mitchell has backed himself to make a name for himself at Souths.

I’ll definitely have to try and find the photo your talking about. I guess that is something that Bennett will be working on closely with him. To be honest it sounds more of a fitness issue than anything else.

I like to think I’m quite patient with players I thought Souths fans were throwing Cook under the bus pretty quickly for a while when he wasn’t given a fair go. I think if players are transitioning to a new position and are still not looking good after a full season then they’re definitely not made for that position. I like to use Alex Johnston as an example of that. He had countless chances at fullback but still hasn’t shown he’s a quality fullback. Great winger though. But you can’t expect greatness instantly. There will always be growing pains.

Yeah I was never a fan of Hayne. I thought he had huge talent and potential but it was quite obvious to a lot of supporters his off field decisions were very toxic and him hanging out with bikies was a horrible look. I had younger cousins who looked up to Hayne when he played in the NRL then he goes and f**ks it like that. Very disappointing. Yeah, I’m personally atheist but I’ve always thought people who do that give religion a bad name. You shouldn’t be able to just blatantly commit crime and then insincerely ask for forgiveness but that’s a different topic!

Mate as long as Latrell can show improvement throughout the season I’m happy with the signing. I would think his fitness would Improve as well throughout the season as well. I just don’t think Souths have the forward pack capable of winning the comp this year but I still see us somewhere in the 8. I really rate some of the young guns we have coming through. Probably more than any other season.

Mate the tigers are in for a good year. I definitely think they placed fairly the past 2 years but this year I’d expect them to be in the 8. They’re pretty settled as a team and whatever position Doueihi ends up playing he will do amazing. Plus he also has a point to prove considering he lost his place to Latrell. Your forward pack is finally settled and you’ve got some real talent in Luciano Leilua starting. I expect you guys to put some big scores on teams this year (hopefully not us). If you guys actually do get Grant and the NRL stops being dicks then I’d say top 8 is almost guaranteed. Grant was easily the best hooker in QCUP last year and is capable of playing big minutes. It would be a perfect way to ease Liddle back into first grade as well.

I’ve found there are good and bad supporters at every club. As long as the good ones interact with each other then the discussions can always be rational!

 

[Souths Till I Die]

@Souths Till I Die re Hayne ".... hanging with the wrong type of people. I think this influences your game on the field as well."

Absolutely. From what I've heard, Hayne also brought his attitude to training.
Haynes biggest problem was that he thought that sheer natural ability was enough. That might be right at schoolboy level but once one's in 1st grade it's a different story.

Having a close family & community ties will work in Latrells favour for sure.
I'm reminded of something Pat Rafter said when he was asked what kept him down to earth.
Rafter was from a big family and said that his siblings did an excellent job of keeping him from developing a swelled head.

For Mitchells sake, hopefully his family has the same influence.

Yeah I mean look at what Hayne did to the titans. They looked like they were going to have a good year before Hayne came. They haven’t been the same since he’s left. He doesn’t make teams better he seems to make them worse. Completely opposite to your Maloney’s or Ennis’.

What I think also separates Latrell from Hayne is his love for his heritage. I imagine he would want nothing more than to be a role model for young indigenous players coming through the NRL. I just don’t see the dickhead inside of him like I do with some players. He’s a bit too competitive on the field which sometimes comes off as grubby but that’s fine with me.

 

[The Windsor Rabbit]

I can see him bombing at fullback - reason different playing juniors in this position than NRL level - juniors there is hardly any focus on defence and he will be really tested in this area plus with all types of kicks- also he was not big on running the ball back at the chooks. You might have purchased a dud

lucky we got him dirt cheap and can dump him at the end of this season if it dont work out.

 

[Travitoh]

lucky we got him dirt cheap and can dump him at the end of this season if it dont work out.

Not exactly. If Latrell tanks, Souths are without a FB.