Demetriou adds fuel to Mitchell position speculation, but there's a catch

Demetriou has opened up on Mitchell’s comments.

EDITOR | December 10, 2021 - 9:16am

South Sydney Rabbitoh's coach Jason Demetriou has slammed the door shut on a Latrell Mitchell positional swap for 2022, but has left some potential for it to happen down the track.

Mitchell, who will miss the first month of the new season as he serves a suspension for an illegal shot on Joseph Manu which saw him miss the 2021 NRL finals series, yesterday speculated that he'd like to switch to five-eighth.

“I don’t know, you’ll have to wait and see,” Mitchell said.

“I’m pretty interested in another position, but I won’t go there yet."

Mitchell became one of the game's best fullbacks during 2021, having begun his career as a centre at the Sydney Roosters.

His switch to fullback took time to gel, but he is now a crucial cog in the Rabbitohs' machine who finished in the top four and then made the grand final before being upended by the Penrith Panthers without the fullback playing.

Despite Mitchell's openness to change positions, his coach Jason Demetriou isn't so sure, calling Mitchell one of the top fullbacks in the game when talking to The Sydney Morning Herald.

“I think Latrell is one of the top fullbacks in the game, we’ve looked at the data from last season and he’s easily one of the top fullbacks,” Demetriou told the publication.

“We missed him during the finals series, Blake is a great young kid who is learning his trade, but Latrell will be our No.1."

While confirming he would play fullback in 2022, Demetriou didn't rule out a move in the future.

South Sydney Rabbitohs Training Session — SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 09: Rabbbitohs assistant coach Jason Demetriou talks to Rabbitohs head coach Wayne Bennett during a South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL training session at Redfern Oval on March 09, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

“I think down the track five-eighth is something he can do. He can play anywhere. He could play front-row because he’s so big," Demetriou said.

“Five-eighth would be good because he understands the game well, he reads the game well, his passing is exceptional, and he knows how to execute on the edges.

“It’s a transition a lot of players have done from No. 1 to No.6. Latrell could do it on his ear, but we’re not thinking about it in the short term.”

It's understood the Rabbitohs will instead start Lachlan Ilias in the halves alongside Cody Walker during 2022, which could leave rookie sensation Blake Taaffe without a position in South Sydney's run on team.