Super coach Wayne Bennett has vowed to help put troubled South Sydney talisman Latrell Mitchell back on track when he returns to Redfern next season.
But Bennett has also made it clear that any player in the NRL, Mitchell included, must “change their behaviour” when they get it wrong.
It comes as the Rabbitohs confirm Mitchell will not play again this year, having previously been non-committal as to his return from a foot injury.
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Mitchell is on a leave of absence from the 15th-placed Rabbitohs after receiving a breach notice for being pictured with a white powder this week.
The club had appeared unlikely to rush Mitchell back from the foot injury he suffered in round 18, given their inability to qualify for finals.
But in the wake of a recent illness and the scandal, for which Mitchell could be fined and suspended, the Rabbitohs definitively made the call.
“He won’t play footy again this year,” interim coach Ben Hornby said ahead of Saturday’s clash with Wests Tigers.
“He’s missed two weeks of training because he was sick last week, so he won’t get back, conditioning-wise. It’s a bit of everything, but he’s missed two weeks of training, so you can’t get that back.”
The white powder scandal comes during a year in the headlines for Mitchell, who raised eyebrows with an expletive-laden radio interview in March and faced a three-match ban in April as the Rabbitohs’ season hit early trouble.
Mitchell will reunite with Bennett in 2025, with the pair sharing a close bond. The Dolphins mentor on Friday said he would provide guidance.
“I’Il look forward to it. I will be there for him and I hope I can give them the help he needs,” Bennett said.
“I haven’t reached out to him (now). I’m not coaching there at the moment. I am not the coach there.
“I have responsibilities here. He is in good hands at South Sydney and he is a good person. I have a lot of time for Latrell.
“South Sydney will handle the matter. They are a great club and they will get it right with Latrell.“’Worry’ is not the word I would use. I am not giving any counselling on the TV news here today. The club is handling it.
“I know he would be upset with himself. We’ve just got to get it sorted out and move forward.”
Bennett said he had no doubt Mitchell could bounce back from the latest setback.“If you have his ability, it is not hard. At the end of the day, he is a football player and it is what he does on the field he should be remembered for. That’s the key,” Bennett said.
“Not what he does off the field, it shouldn’t be the headline. He is a great player and I am sure he will get it right.”
He said any person involved in the NRL had to face the fact they are under different scrutiny than others. He reiterated that personal responsibility was paramount.
“It is not easy. Most businesses in Australia would fail if they were under the scrutiny we are under. We are under an enormous amount of scrutiny,” Bennett said.
“That doesn’t give us the reason to do what is not right. The reality is that if you decide to coach in the NRL, if you decide to play in the NRL or be an official in the NRL, you are under different rules to everyone else in society.
“If you can’t handle that, then don’t do the job. Go and be a part of society, otherwise you will be under scrutiny and you have to learn to live with it and change your behaviour.
“It is as simple as that.”