After risking becoming “complacent” at Sydney Roosters, Latrell Mitchell says he hopes to replicate hero Greg Inglis and “change the game” at fullback at new NRL home South Sydney.
The 22-year-old aims to give a taste of things to come when he runs out for the Indigenous All Stars in Saturday’s clash with the Maori on the Gold Coast after finally putting a very public off-season contract saga behind him.
While insisting there were “no hard feelings” with the Roosters, the NRL star said Redfern already felt like home and he is embracing the challenge of making the Rabbitohs No.1 jersey his own.
“The whole point of why I wanted to move from a club was to go and challenge myself,” he said.
“Otherwise I was just going to get complacent with what I was doing, and centre wasn’t cutting it for me.
“It was just a routine (at Roosters). I thought I would go and challenge myself.”
Mitchell will be taking notes from Indigenous assistant and former North Queensland No.1 Matt Bowen on the finer points of fullback play ahead of the All Stars clash.
But there are no prizes for guessing who will be his inspiration for the 2020 season – idol Inglis, the ex-South Sydney skipper who became a Rabbitohs outside backs assistant after his 2019 retirement as a player.
“There are different fullbacks. You have Teddy (Roosters’ James Tedesco) and there was Billy Slater – little nippy fellas,” Mitchell said.
“But Greg changed the game for big fullbacks. I am not a little nippy fella so I want to be smart, I need to be in position earlier.
“Guys like Teddy, they can whip around and run around corners and that’s how they are.
“For me I want to change the game for a big fullback.”
Mitchell is looking forward to cutting his teeth in his new position for the Indigenous All Stars after admitting he had already been trying to chew Inglis’ ear at Rabbitohs training.
“He just said ‘play your own game’ but at training he is helping with my positioning, it really helps,” Mitchell said.
“I will need some minutes under my belt so it should be good (playing for the Indigenous All Stars).
“But I have a few more weeks to get some fitness under my belt – the sky is the limit for me.”
Mitchell only had kind things to say about the Roosters on Monday but clearly has no regrets about his move and is enjoying his football under new coach Wayne Bennett.
“There’s no hard feelings. I gave my all to the Roosters. Whatever happened, happened,” he said.
“They gave me an opportunity to crack first grade. They are a good club, very professional, and they know how to manage a footballer.”
Asked about South Sydney coach Bennett, Mitchell broke into a beaming smile.
“He’s fun, it’s a good vibe. It’s like park footy,” he laughed.
“It’s just the way that he goes about his business – you just want to play for him.”
