Bunnies star Latrell Mitchell has opened up on his toughest year in the NRL, which by his own admission left him rattled.
Mitchell sat down with former teammate Josh Mansour and elaborated on his 2023 season which started with drama after he and incoming teammate Jack Wighton were arrested in Canberra.
Along with the Canberra dilemma, Mitchell had more issues in 2023 which included his misfortune with injury during Origin and club legend Sam Burgess' exit from the club.
โIt rattled me, I tell you what,โ Mitchell said on the Let's Trot podcast.
โBut it is what it is. I'm over it now. It starts to drip into your personal life and footy. If you're not happy off the field, you're never going to perform on it.
โA lot of that trickled into all of our lives and everything that went on just happened. True colours come out when pressure's applied.
โThey're not losses, they're lessons and I'll take them into 2024.โ
Mitchell is an icon in today's game and is one of the most recognised athletes in Australian sport.
However, the 26-year-old's season with the Rabbitohs was one he's eager to put behind him.
โWe started really well, unstoppable and [the Rabbitohs] defence was awesome,โ Mitchell said.
โI got injured going into NSW camp, and it was just hard for me to come back and try and find that form again.
โTen weeks [out injured] was too long, I wasn't looked after the way I should've been, but it is what it is. I just couldn't find that tick again.
โI was trying to chase that and [the narrative] that โoh it's alright, Latrell's back, we'll be right, we'll win again', the pressure of that got to me a little bit.
โOther than that I think we just lost that drive and connection as well, confidence too.โ
Dramas regarding injuries in Blues camp and South Sydney's form were nothing in comparison to his legal battles throughout the year.
Mitchell and Wighton fought charges all year after the pair were arrested outside of a Canberra nightclub.
The charges have now been recently dropped after one of the police officers involved in the arrest admitted to giving false evidence.
โIt was a long 10 months, it just dragged on. I knew I was innocent the whole time, I was just trying to prove I'm a good person and trying to fake being happy for 10 months was hard. I'm glad it's over โฆ
โ[With] footy it was a big thing. Obviously, trying to perform every day, turn up and perform knowing that's still hanging over your head.โ
The Taree native also spoke on his rapport with the Roosters, the side he started his professional rugby league career with.
Mitchell left the Roosters at the end of the 2019 season, winning two premierships during his tenure there.
โI just let them know what they're missing out on and what they let go in a way,โ Mitchell said.
โI just love playing opposition [when] it's someone that meant a lot to me. The Roosters meant a lot to me at the time and I felt like I gave a lot to that club.
โJust leaving that club on terms I didn't want to leave on, but at the end of the day, it was for the better, I'm at home now at Souths โฆ coming to Souths now I've been able to be myself, not have to prove to anyone who I am and what I stand for. I get backed from CEO down, from [co-owner] Russell [Crowe] down.
โEverything they've sacrificed for me and given to me, and I haven't delivered since I've been there in a sense, [winning] a comp is something that everyone wants. To write my name in the books and maybe [win] a Clive Churchill along with that.โ
