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Perhaps it should have been expected that Latrell Mitchell would suffer a dip in form at the start of 2023.
Few players have ever enjoyed a streak as good as the one that Latrell was on in the back end of last year, where he was averaging almost two try assists per game as Souths went on a tear that ended up with defeat in the Preliminary Final to Penrith.
Mitchell then backed it up with a superb World Cup, a short break, then the Indigenous All Stars game to kick off this year, so he was likely overdue a return to regular human levels.
Still, ahead of his 150th NRL appearance this weekend in the traditional Good Friday clash with the Bulldogs, he admitted that he needed to have more impact in games.
Mitchell was a passenger until the hour mark in last Friday night’s defeat to Melbourne, and is yet to register a single try or line break this year.
“It’s definitely something to work on, and everyone has got something to work on,” he said of Souths’ 2-3 start to the year.
“Instead of chasing our tails in the back end, we should be starting the game earlier.
“For me personally, I know I need to get my hands on the ball a bit earlier in the game and flip the mentality.
“He (Demetriou) always has the right thing to say and I know to take it on the chin. It’s definitely a special relationship that we get to have as coach and player and he knows what he’s doing.”
“I’m going to put my best foot forward and it’s a job we love to do and we’ve got to start making it enjoyable for ourselves.”
It has been a tough start for Latrell off the field, with his preseason arrest in Canberra followed by an incident in which he was allegedly racially abused by a fan at Penrith.
Souths vehemently rejected a suggestion from the NRL that Mitchell meet with the fan in question, suggesting that they should not hand an opportunity to them that is not available to regular, well-behaved supporters.
“I think that’s a matter in the NRL’s hands now,” said the man himself.
“I just want to focus on footy. It’s not my problem. There are people involved and I’ve just got to focus on my role here and not focus my energy on that.
“It does (hurt), but it is what it is. We’re passed that and the process will be taken upon.”
Instead this week, he will focus on the Dogs and a special occasion for him.
“I never thought I’d play one game, a kid from Taree, but to play 150, it’s very special to me and my family,” said Mitchell.
“I’ve had to grow a lot in a short amount of time – I thank you fellas (journalists) for that – but I’m very proud and can’t wait.
“I think my actions speak a lot for those things. I try to present myself as best I can for the kids and try to be a great role model. It’s something that happens naturally and I don’t try to force it on anyone. I just try to be the country kid I once was.
“Everyone thinks I’m 35 and at the end of my career and meant to know everything. I’m only 25, I’m still learning, that’s the beauty of our game, we get to enjoy it every week, we take our learnings – I don’t take them as losses, I take them as lessons.”