The Harsh Reality For Souths: Latrell Mitchell Is No Longer Worth The Money

Nathan Cleary and Latrell Mitchell earn similar (reported) money, but over the past three seasons Cleary has cost Penrith roughly $56,000 per game, compared to Mitchell’s $84,600 per game for South Sydney. That’s a significant difference for two players on marquee contracts which has us thinking Latrell is no longer worth the money.

Before the angry messages arrive, let’s make one thing clear.

Latrell Mitchell is one of the most gifted rugby league players of his generation.

On his day, he can win games almost single-handedly. He can dominate State of Origin, break open defensive lines and do things that very few players in the NRL can replicate.

The problem isn’t talent.

The problem is availability.

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And at some point, South Sydney must stop paying for what Latrell Mitchell could do and start looking at what he is actually delivering.

Because the harsh reality is this: a player earning around $1.1 million per season simply isn’t providing value when he’s spending so much time on the sidelines.

The latest injury scare only reinforces the concern.

Mitchell left Rabbitohs training early this week as he battles ongoing back issues that have already ruled him out of the opening two State of Origin matches. His return remains uncertain, adding another chapter to a career that has become increasingly defined by interruptions rather than consistency.

Let’s look at the numbers.

In 2023, Mitchell played 17 NRL games.
In 2024, he managed just 11 appearances.
In 2025, he again played only 11 games.

Even before accounting for 2026, that’s just 39 club games across three seasons.

Based on a reported salary of approximately $1.1 million per year, South Sydney has paid around $3.3 million over that period.

That works out to roughly $84,600 per game played.

For comparison, most clubs expect their marquee players to feature in 20-24 matches per season and to put that figure into perspective, Nathan Cleary is reportedly earning around $1.2 million per season at Penrith. Across the past three seasons, Cleary has played approximately 64 NRL games despite missing time through injury and Origin commitments. That equates to a cost of roughly $56,000 per game — nearly $30,000 less per appearance than Mitchell over the same period.

The comparison isn’t designed to criticise Mitchell’s talent. In fact, few players can match his ability when fully fit. But it highlights the challenge facing South Sydney. Clubs aren’t just paying for brilliance anymore; they’re paying for availability. And right now, the Rabbitohs are paying premium money for a player who simply isn’t on the field often enough.

What’s even more concerning is that South Sydney is reportedly considering an extension that could see Mitchell earn as much as $1.4 million annually on his next deal.

The discussion has already divided some of the game’s most respected voices.

Gorden Tallis recently warned against committing that level of money given Mitchell’s injury history, while other commentators have questioned whether the Rabbitohs can continue building a roster around a player who is unavailable so often.

The difficult part for South Sydney is that Mitchell remains one of the few players in the competition capable of changing a season.

When he’s healthy, fit and on the field.

Those qualifiers are becoming harder to ignore.

Rabbitohs fans don’t need reminding how influential Mitchell can be. They see it every time he plays. The problem is they simply aren’t seeing enough of it.

Over the past few seasons, injuries, suspensions and representative commitments have combined to limit his availability, leaving South Sydney constantly searching for alternatives. In fact, reports last year noted that Mitchell has averaged only around 14 games per season during his Rabbitohs career.

No club can build sustained success around uncertainty.

The uncomfortable truth is that South Sydney may now have a better long-term investment sitting elsewhere on their roster.

Jye Gray has emerged as one of the competition’s most exciting young fullbacks, while the Rabbitohs have already begun shifting Mitchell into the centres in an attempt to better manage his workload and preserve his body.

That move alone tells a story.

It’s an acknowledgement that the physical demands that once made Mitchell such a devastating fullback may now be contributing to the very issue threatening his value — his inability to stay on the field.

This isn’t an argument that South Sydney should let Latrell Mitchell leave.

Far from it.

Elite talent remains incredibly difficult to replace.

But it is an argument that the Rabbitohs need to be realistic when negotiating his next contract.

A player can still be a superstar and not be worth $1.4 million a season.