Blake Taaffe lifts lid on brilliant act from Latrell Mitchell after leaving Rabbitohs
The Bulldogs recruit says he is ready to make the club's No.1 jersey his own and credits Latrell Mitchell for his growth as a fullback.
Blake Taaffe has credited Latrell Mitchell for helping him build his own NRL identity amid his move to the Bulldogs in 2024. The 24-year-old has spent the last three years learning his trade under the guidance of Mitchell and as a result of the Souths star's injuries and suspensions in recent years has had plenty of first-grade opportunities.
Taaffe now moves away from the club he has long called home to a side where he will look to make the No.1 jersey his own, signing a two-year deal with the Bulldogs from 2024. "Obviously, the past couple of years it’s been tough always stuck behind the big fella (Mitchell). But he’s a top-tier player, you know, I was just learning my trade," Taaffe told the Sydney Morning Herald.
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"I just want to thank him for getting me ready for this moment. I think I've done my apprenticeship underneath him, and I think I’m ready to go out there and show everyone else what I’m ready to do.
"Trell gives really good advice on how to handle yourself in big games and stuff like that Just tells me to be myself, really, go out there and just be Blake Taaffe. don’t try and go out there and make a big play or anything like that. It’s about being in the moment, and something that I really took on, and I’m still doing that to this day."
Taaffe pulled on the Souths No.1 jersey eight times this season but ended the year playing NSW Cup and that led him to seek a challenge elsewhere. When he moves to Belmore, Taaffe will have to earn the fullback spot ahead of Hayze Perham, Connor Tracey and Stephen Crichton as one of 10 fresh faces at the Dogs in 2024.
Jason Demetriou plays down Latrell Mitchell talks
Meanwhile, Souths coach Jason Demetriou confirmed recruit Jack Wighton will play in the centres despite calls for him to be used in a more hands-on role. The Rabbitohs snared Wighton from the Canberra Raiders in a huge coup for the 2024 season.
Mitchell copped widespread criticism for some lacklustre performances after returning from a calf injury late in the 2023 season. Upon his reintroduction to the team he wasn't able to recapture the form that helped Souths lead the competition early in the season, as they suffered an embarrassing fall from grace to miss the finals altogether.
Wighton has played the majority of his career at five-eighth but will move out to the centres as Cody Walker already fills the No.6 jersey at Souths. Wighton has long excelled in the centres for NSW and Australia, and Demetriou says that's where he'll most likely play at the Rabbitohs despite suggestions a switch to fullback could be on the cards. “I just know Jack is going to make us a better footy team. At the moment, if I was to pick him, I’d pick him at left centre,” Demetriou told the Daily Telegraph.
“I’m going to spend time in the pre-season to see where Jack fits best. What I love about Jack is that he is committed to play wherever the team needs him to play. For a player of his stature to have that mindset, that rubs off on the rest of the team.”
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