Souths are reportedly set to insert strict behavioural clauses into superstar Latrell Mitchell’s contract following his latest controversy after an incident last week in Dubbo.
The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield confirmed Souths’ impending move after the fullback was hit with a breach notice for bringing the game into disrepute after a leaked picture surfaced showing him leaning over a table with a white powder on it in a Dubbo hotel room.
Mitchell had five business days to respond to the notice which could result in a suspension, fine or both.
The 27-year-old is set to meet with Rabbitohs powerbrokers this week to state his case.
“He has to front the board … and explain himself what exactly was happening but also the other behavioural issues including the Triple M F-bomb tirade, the Spencer Leniu social media stuff – all that sort of thing,” Rothfield told Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast.
“Souths are over it. He’s on $1.2 million a year and from what I understand they are going to say to him, ‘We want an ironclad guarantee this is all going to stop’.
“To make it stop they are prepared to go as far as putting behavioural clauses in his contract. So, in other words if he does step out of line and bring the game into disrepute as this photo has then it’s ta-ta.
“I’m expecting he will get one final chace but his contract will be adjusted and if he’s not happy with this new clause they will say ‘it’s all over’.”
Mitchell has been ruled out for the rest of 2024 with a foot injury suffered in Round 18 against the Eels.
Cronulla NRL Premiership-winner Wade Graham explained contracts are actually signed with the NRL and not directly with clubs.
“When you sign a contact you don’t actually sign a contract with your club you sign an NRL contract and within the NRL contract there’s a code of conduct you agree to,” Graham said.
“If you bring the game into disrepute or an image can damage the game that’s where they have the power to come down and fine you.”
Rothfield confirmed an existing contract can be amended meaning the Rabbitohs have the power to update his agreement with new clauses.
“Yeah they can (change a contract) and I’m sure they’ve got the human resources department working on it,” Rothfield said.
“There’s obviously been a warning and Blake Solly, Matt Rose and Latrell earlier in the year when he was in strife and they told him then that this can’t go on and we can no longer tolerate (it).
“(They said) ‘We want your mind on football and we want you on the park playing rugby league’. ‘We appreciate everything you do’ and Latrell’s done a lot more for the good of rugby league than bad but there’s these incidents that keep coming up.”
Rothfield said incoming coach Wayne Bennett had been in contact with Souths with the seven-time premiership-winning mentor wanting Latrell’s issues sorted before his arrival.
“Wayne Bennett’s all over it. I’m told Wayne Bennett has spoken to Blake Solly in the last 24 hours just checking in and seeing how Souths are handling it,” he said.
“Even Wayne’s saying ‘I can’t walk into that football club next year and fix Latrell’. There’s one person who can do that and that’s Latrell.
“Latrell’s got to make a decision that rugby league as a $1.2 million player is my priority. And when they went on that mini surge six or eight weeks ago it was all on the back of what Latrell did on the football field.
“I think it would be really sad. Other people tell you that he could walk away and say ‘I don’t want to be clamped down with these restrictions’. It’s just not him. It’s sad.”
