LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Phil Rothfield has called for an "investigation" into South Sydney's ongoing injury crisis, with a stark highlight concerning Latrell Mitchell.
The Rabbitohs are facing a tough season in 2025, currently sitting last on the NRL ladder with six rounds to go, significantly impacted by injuries to key players.
Coach Wayne Bennett is on the brink of receiving his first wooden spoon, largely due to the absence of his star athletes.
Notably, captain Cameron Murray has been sidelined for the entire season after rupturing his Achilles during pre-season, while others, including Mitchell, Cody Walker, and Campbell Graham, have also faced lengthy spells out.
Adding to the woes, Mitchell recently suffered a calf tear during training, a situation not uncommon for the Rabbitohs this year.
Concerns have been raised regarding the club's new training facilities at Heffron Park, which replaced their previous site at Redfern Oval.
Rothfield highlighted that many injuries, including those of Murray and two this season for Mitchell, have occurred during training, suggesting a deeper issue.
Rothfield emphasized, "Souths need an investigation into their injuries, they really do.
Their sports science, their high-performance.
A lot of them have happened at training.
Whoever on Souths high-performance staff four years ago advised their recruitment team that Adam Reynolds was a risk longer than a year has made a gigantic error in my view." He pointed out a significant statistic showing that Reynolds, who moved to Brisbane, has played 20 more games than Mitchell since his departure, amassing 5,592 minutes on the field compared to Mitchell's time sidelined.
The situation highlights the pressing need for the Souths organization to reassess their training methods and injury management strategies as the season nears its conclusion.