Bennett backs Latrell to ‘nail it’ at fullback
WAYNE Bennett has come out swinging at critics of Latrell Mitchell, insisting he will not bow to public pressure to axe him as fullback ahead of tonight’s derby blockbuster with the Roosters.
All eyes will be on Mitchell at Bankwest Stadium, where the underfire NSW State of Origin ace will come face-toface with his former Roosters teammates for the first time since his dramatic departure from Bondi in January.
Mitchell started the season with two poor performances at fullback before becoming embroiled in an off-field social distancing scandal with Josh
Addo-Carr during the COVID-19 crisis.
Bennett has come under sustained pressure to shift Mitchell to the centre position, where the 22-year-old won two titles at the Roosters, but the super coach is backing him to have a Greg Inglis-like dominance at fullback.
“The suggestion I won’t move Latrell because of media criticism is rubbish,” Bennett said yesterday.
“Look, if I thought Latrell was best for the team in the centres, I’d put him there, OK, but I don’t think that ... I just do what is the right for the team and I believe Latrell is best for the team at fullback.”
Mitchell failed to finish his first two games for the Rabbitohs at fullback. The Australian centre made just four runs for 48m in the season opener against Cronulla before being muzzled again a week later against the Broncos, who held Mitchell to six runs and 60m in their 22-18 victory.
Despite queries over Mitchell’s aerobic capacity to handle the demands of fullback play, Bennett says he will fire in the No.1 jumper.
“Latrell is the closest thing to Greg Inglis that I have ever seen ... he will nail it,” he said.