Why a Souths star turned on Latrell Mitchell at a team meeting as the club drew up a hit list of coaches to replace Jason Demetriou
- Alex Johnson turned on Latrell Mitchell during a Souths team meeting
- Winger wondered why he was being praised for his dangerous tackle
- Bellamy and Bennett are among the coaches slated as replacements
It’s not just Souths fans who are frustrated with Latrell Mitchell, either as one of the controversial star’s teammates reportedly turned on him at a recent team meeting.
South Sydney’s NRL season suffered another blow on Sunday when Mitchell was handed a ban of up to four matches following their huge loss to the Warriors.
A day after coach Jason Demetriou branded Mitchell’s behavior ‘stupid’, the full-back was charged with grade two dangerous contact for slamming his forearm into Shaun Johnson’s face.
The superstar’s record means that even with an early guilty plea he will miss three games, while risking a fourth if he contests the charges and loses.
Latrell Mitchell (pictured during Saturday’s loss to the Warriors) was a lightning rod for fan criticism – and now he’s reportedly having to deal with one of his teammates too
Souths have reportedly put together a list of coaches to replace the under-fire Jason Demetriou
But any ban on the forearm to Johnson’s head has the potential to leave the Rabbitohs’ backline in tatters, with the club having won just one of their first five games.
The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that during a team meeting following Souths’ win over the Bulldogs in round four, Demetriou called for the team’s nominations for the Jason Clark Award – which rewards players who show courage and resilience.
Mitchell’s controversial try-saving tackle on Josh Addo-Carr was mentioned to put him in the race, but not every player in the room was happy about it.
Winger Alex Johnson questioned why Mitchell was praised for an illegal tackle that could have hurt the entire team had he been suspended, the report said.
Demetriou defended Mitchell, who was not in the room at the time.
Meanwhile, Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bennett are reportedly at the top of a coaching contingency list compiled by South officials as they sit last on the ladder despite having one of the better teams in the league on paper .
The Bunnies have Cronulla, Melbourne and Penrith in their next three games as pressure mounts on Demetriou – and a loss to the Sharks could force the club to terminate his contract.
Assistant coach Ben Hornby is expected to take charge for the remainder of the season if Demetriou is fired.
Sam Burgess, who left the club after falling out with Demetriou over what he said was the preferential treatment given to Mitchell and Cody Walker, will also be in contention for the coaching role.
Highly rated Melbourne Storm head coach Craig Bellamy is said to be on the team’s hit list to replace Demetriou
Wayne Bennett, who coached Souths before Demetriou took over, is also on the list and speculation has linked him to the Redfern club in 2025.
Demetriou criticized Mitchell’s behavior after Saturday’s match incidents but refused to publicly condemn the full-back’s record of finding trouble.
‘They’re both stupid things. You have to be better, it’s that simple,” Demetriou said.
‘I have those conversations (with him) during the week (about his behavior). It’s not something for me to talk about now.’
He attracted attention in the second round when he swore five times in a minute during a post-match radio interview following Souths’ loss to Brisbane.
The 26-year-old was convicted the following week for a professional foul on Roosters captain James Tedesco, and was fined last week for a collision with Bulldogs winger Josh Addo-Carr.