Latrell Mitchell's meeting with Wayne Bennett as new coach puts Souths players on blast
The new South Sydney coach has told his players in no uncertain terms where they need to improve.
Wayne Bennett has reportedly held a one-on-one meeting with Latrell Mitchell in recent days, while also telling the rest of the South Sydney players in no uncertain terms that they haven't been good enough. Bennett has already begun the process of trying to turn the Rabbitohs around after back-to-back years of missing the NRL finals.
They had a disastrous year in 2024, with star fullback Mitchell making more unwanted headlines than good ones. And according to the Daily Telegraph, the new has coach told the players in brutal fashion that their attitude, fitness and work ethic aren't up to standard.
Bennett is said to have held a meeting with the playing group last week to put them on notice ahead of the 2025 season. One source told the Daily Telegraph: “Wayne didn’t f**k around. That’s how Wayne operates.”
The master-coach reportedly told the players that no one in the NRL fears them or takes them seriously - a rocket that he's hoping sparks some change at the club. It's understood he also held a one-on-one meeting with Mitchell to discuss where his career is heading.
Mitchell had a tumultuous season and didn't play the final two months due to a foot injury. He was slapped with a one-game ban (which he'll have to serve in 2025) and $20,000 fine for appearing in a photo with a white substance while in Dubbo.
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Bennett's biggest task ahead of the 2025 is getting Mitchell back to his best and focusing on his footy again. The 27-year-old is on over $1 million per season but has struggled with his fitness and disciplinary issues over the last two years.
Discussing the opportunity to work with Mitchell again last month, the coach said: "I'll look forward to it. I will be there for him and I hope I can give them the help that he needs. He is in good hands at South Sydney and he is a good person. I have a lot of time for Latrell.
"If you have his ability, it is not hard. At the end of the day, he is a football player and it is what he does on the field he should be remembered for. That's the key. Not what he does off the field. It shouldn't be the headline.
"He is a great player and I am sure he will get it right. It is not easy. Most businesses in Australia would fail if they were under the scrutiny we are under. We are under an enormous amount of scrutiny. That doesn't give us the reason to do what is not right.
"The reality is that if you decide to coach in the NRL if you decide to play in the NRL or be an official in the NRL, you are under different rules to everyone else in society. If you can't handle that, then don't do the job. Go and be a part of society, otherwise, you will be under scrutiny and you have to learn to live with it and change your behaviour. It is as simple as that."
