New coach Wayne Bennett is already having an impact at the Rabbitohs.
Jimmy Smith, a former NRL player, has predicted that after rejoining former coach Wayne Bennett, Latrell Mitchell will silence his detractors and win the Dally M award in 2025. After missing out on the top eight for the second consecutive year, the South Sydney Rabbitohs had yet another disappointing season in 2024.
Jason Demetriou left the Rabbitohs halfway through the season, and they never bounced back from their 1-6 start. Additionally, it was revealed following his departure that Bennett will join the team in 2025.
Mitchell will miss Bennett’s first game of the 2025 NRL season because the fullback was given a one-game suspension after a picture of him wearing what looked like white powder surfaced while he was in Dubbo for coaching clinics. Due to a wrist injury sustained while playing for Australia, he will also be missing captain Cameron Murray at the beginning of the season.
It will be difficult for Bennett to keep his best players on the field in 2025 because several of them will miss a significant portion of the campaign. Campbell Graham missed the entire season, Murray only played 14 games, and Mitchell only played 11 for the Rabbitohs this season.
In any case, Mitchell already seems to be in peak form early in the preseason, suggesting that Bennett has already brought about change at South Sydney. Mitchell was initially commended by Corey Parker, who said the Rabbitohs No. 1 seemed to be working hard during the off-season.
Smith has now jumped on the bandwagon and asserted that the NSW State of Origin center is prepared for the most significant season of his career. After his suspension against the Warriors this season, Mitchell’s place in the Rabbitohs lineup was questioned; many suggested he should switch from fullback to centre.
Latrell Mitchell ‘will win Dally M medal in 2025’
However, Mitchell came back and improved until his season ended due to a foot injury. Smith has since stated that Mitchell will be more committed than ever to dispelling his skeptics, but he acknowledged that in order to stand a shot, he would need to play more games and be more reliable.
“Latrell Mitchell will win the 2025 Dally M player of the year award, I’ll state that clearly. He might succeed.” Smith stated on SEN Radio on Tuesday. Smith was optimistic about Mitchell’s prospects, and reporter Michael Carayannis concurred that he seems poised for significant progress.
“They’re going to prime him. Carayannis remarked, “You already look at him now…he looks fitter.” “Wayne will be able to control him, hug him, yell at him, and do all Wayne is capable of. And when Wayne departed the club, we could see the shape Latrell was starting to take. That, in my opinion, is a good yell.
