Incoming Rabbitohs mentor Wayne Bennett has weighed in on Latrell Mitchell’s leaked photograph investigation while interim coach Ben Hornby has confirmed the superstar fullback’s season is over.
The NRL Integrity Unit issued Mitchell a breach notice on Thursday after a photograph was leaked picturing the South Sydney star with a white substance.
It remains unclear when the photo was taken and there’s no suggestion the white substance is an illicit drug, with a potential one-game ban looming for the fullback according to the SMH.
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Speaking to reporters on Friday, Bennett, who is set to arrive in Redfern ahead of the 2025 season, was asked if he’s spoken to Mitchell regarding the situation.
“I haven’t reached out to him. I’m not coaching there at the moment, I’m not the coach of there, my responsibility is here,” Bennett said.
“He’s in good hands at South Sydney, he’s a good person. I’ve got a lot of time for Latrell, but South Sydney will handle the matter. They are a great club and they will get it right.
“They will get it right with Latrell… Worried is not the word I’d use but as I said, I’m not going to give him councilling on the TV news here today.
“Club’s handling it and I know he’d be upset with himself, just got to get it sorted out and move on. Not move on, you’ve got to move forward.
Mitchell will reportedly have to sit down with representatives of the club’s powerful owners, including Russell Crowe, James Packer and Mike Cannon-Brookes.
I think for the fans it’s disappointing’ | 01:19
Bennett urged fans to appreciate Michell’s performances on the field, instead of the “headlines” off it.
“When you have his ability it’s not hard, at the end of the day he’s a football player and it’s what he does on the football field that he should be remembered for,” he said.
“That’s the key, not what he does off the field. It shouldn’t be the headline… he’s a great player and I’m sure he will be all right.”
Meanwhile, Hornby confirmed Mitchell won’t return to the field this season after spending his second week away from training.
The gun No.1 was sidelined with a foot injury in July and hasn’t played since his side’s Round 18 win over the Eels.
“He won’t play footy again this year, he’s missed two weeks of training now because he was sick last week, so he won’t get back this year guys,” Hornby said.
“He reached out to me, we’ve had a bit of a text conversation. I’d rather keep that private to be honest, that’s what generally happens when we have these discussions.
“Yeah he’s okay, I’ve only been in text contact with him but yeah, he’s going okay.
“At the moment the NRL and club are going through a process. He’s just going to be at home.
“We’ve tried to keep our focus on what’s going to happen this weekend, the boys have been really good at that. Just focusing on one week at a time and this week’s no different.”
When asked he believed Rabbitohs fans had a right to be disappointed, Hornby replied: “I think for the fans it’s disappointing, but for us we’ve just got to worry about what we can control.
“We have got to win football games, that’s where our focus is and if we win I’m sure the fans will appreciate that, the effort the boys are putting in.”
Source Agencies
