Nathan Cleary detail called out as NRL great savages Souths over Latrell Mitchell decision

Paul Gallen has questioned why South Sydney let Latrell Mitchell go to Dubbo in the first place when the likes of Nathan Cleary and Nicho Hynes would have been supporting their teammates at their respective games. Mitchell is expected to be hit with a fine and one-game suspension over a 'white powder' photo that was taken of him during his trip to Dubbo two weekends ago.

The Rabbitohs fullback was in Dubbo doing community work and coaching clinics, and hasn't been able to play since suffering a foot injury last month. He also missed the Rabbitohs' game against Canberra in Round 21 because he was in the NSW town of Casino for an appearance at a country rodeo.

He did attend Souths' game against the Storm on the Thursday night before heading to Dubbo, but Gallen has questioned why the club has allowed Mitchell to be absent so much. The Cronulla legend pointed out that Cleary and Hynes are always in attendance for Panthers and Sharks games when they're injured, and are often spotted on the field helping their teammates before games.

Does Latrell Mitchell get away with too much at Souths?

Mitchell has been in the Rabbitohs' coaching box on a number of occasions during his injury lay-off, but hasn't been as present as Gallen would like. "He has got no one at South Sydney saying hang on Latrell, you're the highest paid player, you're the best player at this club, we need you here to support the boys, we need you here to get us out of this rut, we need your help," Gallen said on 2GB radio.

The former NSW captain said someone at Souths needs to lay down the law to Mitchell and say enough is enough. "No one does that at South Sydney, they just let him do what he wants, and they always have," Gallen added.

"Privately, someone at the South Sydney club - the captain or the coach - should be getting hold of him and telling him the way it should be, but I don't think that happens at South Sydney. When attention is brought upon your club, whether positive or negative, it takes away from your job which is playing football and winning games, because players have to answer all the questions.

"And that happens so often when it comes to Latrell. But I don't see South Sydney nipping it in the bud at all. I see him constantly get away with it and constantly behave the way he wants to behave, and it keeps going around in circles."

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Wayne Bennett facing big task to get Latrell Mitchell back to best

Gallen predicted that Wayne Bennett, who will coach Souths in 2025, might have a hard time getting through to Mitchell next season. "So now when they try to turn it back (on him) he's going to say 'wait on a sec, you've always let me do it'," Gallen said.

"It's going to take Wayne Bennett to come in there and change it because no one else has had the balls to stand up to Latrell and say 'no Latrell you can't do this'. No one has done that and look where they are now. He's always done it his way, and good luck changing it."

Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray hinted at his frustrations on Wednesday when he refused to answer questions about Mitchell. When asked whether club captains should have an opinion on team matters, Murray said: "I'll keep my opinion quiet. They're conversations I've had between me and Latrell, out of respect for Latrell and everything he's gone through over the last couple of weeks."