LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Rugby League legend Andrew Johns has weighed in on the recent struggles of South Sydney's fullback, Latrell Mitchell, claiming that the fiery player has not been his usual self since the middle of last year.
Johns, a true NRL icon, believes that Mitchell has been playing with a lot of anger lately, possibly due to the aftermath of the Las Vegas racism scandal.
Mitchell found himself in hot water after advocating for a hefty ban for Roosters prop Spencer Leniu, who had made a racist remark towards Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam.
Leniu was ultimately suspended for eight matches by the NRL judiciary, but Mitchell was not satisfied with the punishment handed down.
In fact, he called out the NRL for not being tough enough, declaring that the league needed to "deal with this sh**." This led to a war of words between Mitchell and former boxer Anthony Mundine, who controversially claimed that Leniu's comments were not racist.
Despite the NRL's decision not to penalize Mitchell for his remarks, the Souths star has continued to find himself in trouble.
He faced criticism for a profanity-laced post-match interview with Triple M and then put his close friend, Josh Addo-Carr, out of the game after a collision on Good Friday.
More recently, Mitchell received a three-game suspension for elbowing Shaun Johnson's head during a match against the Warriors, adding to his woes in Souths' humiliating 34-4 defeat.
It seems that Mitchell's on-field behavior and temperament have come under scrutiny in recent times, with many questioning whether the talented fullback can regain his form and composure on the field.
Only time will tell if Latrell Mitchell can overcome these challenges and once again become a dominant force in the NRL.