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Live sport on SN this weekendSouths reveal Latrell plan as star cleared for take-off
George Clarke, AAP •  August 28th, 2026 2:44 pm
Latrell Mitchell is back in South Sydney's side and Wayne Bennett has a clear plan for his return | Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP
Wayne Bennett is confident Latrell Mitchell's days of being plagued by one injury after another are a thing of the past after the South Sydney coach confirmed the devastating centre will play his first game in the NRL in over three months.
Bennett will bring Mitchell off the bench and deploy him at centre in Saturday's away trip to face the Gold Coast, where victory would all but lock up a top-eight spot for the Bunnies.
But the Souths coach is wary of over-exposing the 29-year-old, who hasn't played since a round 11 loss to the Dolphins after picking up a calf issue.
"The boys have been great without him so we just need to get him back playing and not put him under unnecessary pressure to do something special for us," Bennett said.
"It's great to have him back and get a bit of conditioning behind him and contact and all that.
"He's totally clear to play - there's no needles, no painkillers involved - he's 100 per cent fit."
Latrell Mitchell (right) has been beaming at training ahead of a much-anticipated NRL return | Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP
At the time of his calf injury, Mitchell was arguably the form player of the competition with 11 tries in nine games.
A fresh back issue midway through recovery from the calf issue prompted the 29-year-old to seek specialist help given his struggles of staying on the field for the Bunnies.
Mitchell barely missed a match across a 96-game stint with Sydney Roosters across his first four seasons in the NRL.
Latrell Mitchell had been putting together an incredible season before injury struck | Photo: AAP
Since landing at Souths in 2020 he has failed to see out a full season.
He will play his 96th game for the Rabbitohs if he faces the Titans, although Bennett warned Mitchell was unlikely to be handed goalkicking duties.
"It didn't look too good yesterday when he kicked but he was better this morning," Bennett said on Friday.
"He's not going to be on that long so we'll have a bit to do before he gets out there.
"The only impact for us is if he plays well."
Mitchell is part of an enlarged South Sydney squad heading to face the Titans which includes Jai Arrow, who has been given special dispensation to play against the Gold Coast and the Sydney Roosters over the next fortnight to bring up his 100th Rabbitohs game.
Jai Arrow will make another emotional return to the field this weekend, lining up with Souths | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Souths have been given an extra interchange which will allow Arrow, who went public with his motor neurone disease diagnosis in May, to start on the field and substitute himself off straight after kick-off.
Both the Titans, where Arrow played 56 games, and the Roosters gave the initiative their blessing.
"He was on 98 and thinking about it all and what it would mean to him, he's been a wonderful warrior, he was a guy made to play 100 or 200 games for the club," Bennett said.
"He'll be credited with a game and one to go the following week."
Bennett joked he may struggle to get Arrow off the field against the Roosters.
"He'll be keen," said the supercoach. "But he might be tired after this game, he might not be able to back up."
