South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou has rejected putting any responsibility for the club's dismal finish to the season on star fullback Latrell Mitchell.
Souths were the first side in NRL history to not make finals after leading the competition after Round 11.
Mitchell missed ten weeks of the season due to suffering a hamstring issue after an exceptional start to the season. Souths were in need of the star fullback to return, but he struggled to return to his best form due to the significant time he was out of action.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald about Mitchell's hectic 2023 season, Demetriou was quick to state that Mitchell was performing very well prior to his injury and it was hard for him to get back to that form.
“When he's fit, we all know how good Latrell is,” Demetriou told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“People forget he went into Origin the best fullback in the game, in my opinion. He was a big contributor to why we were on top of the table, then he doesn't play (for) 10 weeks.
“But when you miss 10 weeks in the middle of the season, it's hard to get your form back for the rest of the year, not to mention come back into a side that had lost confidence, that put more pressure on him.
“The frustration of the injury, and the extended period he was out, it didn't put him in a good place either.
“I'm really excited to have him back, I know how much he is also hurting about the way we finished the year.”
Demetriou said Mitchell will have a full preseason in him for the 2024 season, which is his first full preseason since he joined the club in 2019.