Latrell Mitchell's time at the Sydney Roosters ended in the best way possible, with a premiership. However, the celebrations didn't last through the summer quite like they have for other members of the squad.

He wanted to get a measure of his value in the market, and once the calendar flipped over to November, the clubs came calling. At least five clubs are said to have made enquiries. 

In the end, the Roosters weren't interested in waiting to find out. He was effectively banished from the club by the time pre-season training started. Mitchell's manager didn't last the summer either.

But after negotiations that filled the back pages for far too long, Mitchell now finds himself at the South Sydney Rabbitohs in what his father calls a "home-coming".

He chose the premiership push under Wayne Bennett over the long-term financial security Michael Maguire and the Wests Tigers were willing to provide.

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Now, the hard part.

The 22-year-old arrives at his new club looking to get his football back on track.

Despite scoring more points than any other player and ending it holding the Provan-Summons Trophy, Mitchell's 2019 season was mixed. His form for the Roosters was up and down. Meanwhile, it was the axe that came down on his place in the New South Wales Blues squad after just one game.

All eyes are still on Mitchell for 2020.

Well within his rights to do everything he has done up to this point, footy fans don't like the fuss. He's under pressure to justify the barrage of holiday headlines, the change in scenery, and the new number on his back.

If Bennett can get the best out of Mitchell, and Mitchell the best out of himself, a return to form, State of Origin and the podium on Grand Final Day isn't out of the question.

Finding Love At Fullback

Mitchell wants to find his love for footy again and lusts after the fullback jersey.

While most of the talk in NRL circles during his negotiations was about dollars and cents, having the true best player in the NRL ahead of him at the position he covets undoubtedly played a role in his decision to leave the Roosters. Given he signed a deal for half the length and at a reduced rate to what the Wests Tigers offered, the money was only part of Mitchell's considerations.

He confirmed as much on his arrival at Redfern :

"Go back 24 months when I started in the centre and I had never played centre … that sort of answers the question. I look forward to the challenge, that's all I am worried about. I've always come up as a fullback, I was never a centre. The potential to play fullback again is exciting."

Mitchell has played fullback in the NRL before as a 19-year-old in 2016. When you consider he was playing behind halves pairings that featured any combination of Jackson Hastings, Aidan Guerra, Ryan Matterson, Jayden Nikorima and just 12 games from Mitchell Pearce, his numbers are encouraging.

• 16 Games
• 11 Tries
• 10 Linebreaks
• 5 Linebreak Assists
• 2 Try Assists
• 4.75 Tacklebreaks Per Game
• 113 Running Metres Per Game

Spending time on the wing in 2017 before finding a fulltime home in the centres for 2018, Mitchell went on to win the Dally M Centre of the Year by scoring 248 points (1st), finding the try line 17 times (7th) and breaking 118 tackles (4th). He also debuted for the Kangaroos and played all three games of the 2018 State of Origin Series.

The 2019 season produced similar numbers, but they had a totally different feel to them. He once again finished at the top of the NRL's scoring list with 273 points with his 19 tries good for 2nd. 

After scoring 26 points through three tries and six goals along with a try assist against the Tigers in Round 8, Mitchell was (albeit foolishly) talked about as the best player in the NRL. A month later, he was dropped from the Blues with a "lack of effort" sighted as the reason.

The up and down season drained Mitchell's love for the game. However, his almost unrivalled combination of size, strength, skill and speed remains, and when activated close to the line, is near impossible to stop. While he may be ineffective for lengthy periods, Mitchell only needs five minutes to be a match-winner.

Questions are quite rightfully being asked about Mitchell's fitness and work rate and how he will cope with the intensity of the fullback position. Active and alert in attack and defence, the lulls and lapses in concentration that can be afforded to centres aren't available for fullbacks.

Mitchell's numbers measured against the best fullbacks in the game highlight just how much more he will be asked to do in his new position.

The 22-year-old enjoyed his off-season. He's returned to training carrying a little bit more than he should be with his 108kg around 15kg heavier than the average NRL fullback. But, if Mitchell can put it all together and consistently play up to the standard we've all seen him achieve at various points of his career, the Rabbitohs will have reinvigorated one of the most dangerous backlines in the NRL, and he, his love for footy.

How Is It Going To Look?

Probably pretty good...

The first thought on Mitchell's signing was of their left-side attack. He's dominated that side of the field for the last two years.

So too have the Rabbitohs.

Souths scored 43% of their tries down the left edge in 2019. Only the Roosters, Storm and Raiders scored more than the Rabbitohs' 39 total tries on that side. They managed that despite regular changes forced upon them through injury.  But now fielding the most potent left-side player in the NRL over the last two seasons, expect the Rabbitohs to go close in topping the total tries list on the left as they did in 2018.

The potential of Mitchell's combination with close friend Cody Walker on that side is sky-high.

Walker has re-signed with the club and can start to get comfortable again. His State or Origin stint and the contract negotiations that followed got the best of the 30-year-old throughout the second half of last season. Mitchell can help him get back on track in 2020, though. What will likely be a left-heavy Mitchell out the back of a shift will open up Walker's game and provide him with plenty of opportunities to run the football. 

He does enough with the dummy below to sneak over, but replace Adam Douehi with Mitchell out the back, and the numbered up defensive line is going to have a difficult decision to make: Closeout Walker or slide to help cover Mitchell who they're unlikely to stop one-on-one.

It may take some time before Mitchell has the fitness to pop up through the middle of the field as regularly as the elite fullbacks, but when he does, lookout.

Here, Jake Friend simply gives Mitchell - who is playing fullback at the time - the ball and points him towards the line. With Damien Cook's speed and how often he blows by the markers to engage the A defender, Mitchell is going to find himself in plenty of one-on-one situations if he can keep up with his hooker.

Cook ran for 78 metres per game in 2019 while finishing 4th overall in try assists (18) and 2nd overall in linebreak assists (19). With Cameron Murray breaking 47 tackles and throwing 33 offloads across 26 games last season, the opportunities will be there for Mitchell to dominate through the middle if his fitness is up to it.

Mitchell opted to sign what is most likely a two-year deal (the second is an option in South Sydney's favour). He's playing for the big contract he's talked about before, and knows playing consistent footy at a well-paid position is how he earns it.

He's already been talked about as the best player in the NRL once before. This can be the year he genuinely achieves that tag should the change of position and scenery unlock the remaining untapped potential.

If that ends up being the case, South Sydney will find themselves in the hunt for the premiership.

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