South Sydney players will reportedly refuse to accept the Clive Churchill medal after rugby legend Latrell’s son labeled Mitchell a ‘cancer’.
The prospect of the Rabbitohs winning the premiership may seem unlikely given their current form, but according to the… Daily telegram the players have promised to decline the man-of-the-match award if they win the Grand Final.
The decision comes after Rod Churchill launched a scathing attack on Mitchell, describing the superstar fullback as a ‘myth’, ‘overrated’ and a ‘disgrace’ to the club.
Mitchell will also miss Friday’s game against the Sydney Roosters, which Souths must win this season to reach the final.
“Looking at it objectively, he’s been very disappointing and just hasn’t delivered,” said Churchill, the son of immortal rugby league and South legend Clive Churchill. News Corp on Saturday.
Latrell Mitchell has been labeled a ‘cancer’ and a ‘myth’ by Rod Churchill, son of South Sydney legend Clive Churchill
Sam Burgess won the Clive Churchill Medal when Souths last became Prime Minister in 2014
But the South players could refuse to accept the award if they win the grand final
In fact he has been an embarrassment to the number 1 jersey for several weeks.
“I think he’s overrated. And sometimes I wonder if he cares enough. The fact is that he is paid like a great player, but has not acted when necessary.’
Churchill went on to suggest that the 26-year-old hadn’t ‘shown up’ when it mattered since joining the Rabbitohs in 2020, criticizing the hype surrounding him.
News Corp also reported that Churchill allegedly described the New South Wales star as a ‘cancer’ for the Bunnies in a text message he sent to South chairman Nick Pappas.
The astonishing outburst sparked a wave of support for Mitchell from both the club and the NRL.
“Our club has always had the utmost respect for the Churchill family and Clive’s tremendous contribution to the Rabbitohs,” said Blake Solly, CEO of Rabbitohs.
“But on these comments, I completely disagree with Rod. Latrell’s passion and dedication to the club is also beyond question.’
On Sunday, rugby league supremo Peter V’landys also took over at Mitchell’s defense, praising him for being ‘a very good person’ and a role model for Indigenous children.
Souths boss Jason Demetriou (left) and CEO Blake Solly (right) have defended Mitchell
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has also spoken out in support of the Souths’ fullback
“I think it’s time for people to back off. Enough is enough. Leave that man alone,” he told News Corp.
“He does a lot of great things behind the scenes that people don’t see.
“From my experiences with him, he is a very good person. He is highly regarded – and I understand that – but he is still human. (…) He is such a great role model for Indigenous children.
“They want to be Latrell Mitchell. It gives them hope in life.’
Churchill’s verbal volley at Mitchell comes as the Bunnies’ hopes of making it to the finals, both on and off the field, seem to fade.
The Rabbitohs’ season was thrown into turmoil last week when assistant coaches Burgess and John Morris reportedly spoke to Bunnies boss Jason Demetriou about his alleged special treatment of Mitchell and Cody Walker.
Burgess and Morris parted ways with the club two days later, with the former reportedly engaged in a fiery conversation with Rabbitoh co-owner Russell Crowe.
After following the NRL for the first half of the season, the Rabbitohs have come off badly Mitchell has come under the most criticism.
The $1 million fullback has been called out for a series of ‘lazy’ incidents both on and off the field.
He will miss the Rabbitohs’ clash with the Roosters in round 27 because he elbowed Newcastle striker Tyson Frizell in his team’s 29-10 loss to the Knights a week ago, an incident Demetriou described as ‘silly’.
Mitchell has recently been criticized for underwhelming performances as the Rabbitohs have fallen off the ladder and risk missing the final
Cody Walker is also under scrutiny after reportedly having a heated clash with head coach Demetriou following the club’s loss to the Sharks earlier this month
The Australia international was of no help to his cause after he was spotted drinking beer on stage with country singer Luke Coombs in Sydney in the days leading up to the Knights’ defeat.
But Solly vehemently denounced suggestions that the star duo were held to different standards than their teammates.
“How dare people question their commitment to the club,” he told the club Daily telegram on Thursday.
“The things being said around Cody and Latrell are complete bullshit. No one should ever question their commitment to this club.”