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From SMH Andrew Webster
Christmas is about to come early: the Latrell Mitchell contract saga is expected to be resolved by the end of this week. The Roosters have told Mitchell’s management — whoever that is these days — they want him off their books by January 1. At the same time, they are softening their stance on the possibility of him heading to arch-rivals South Sydney. In turn, South Sydney are softening their rhetoric about having no interest in him. The Rabbitohs have gone from “no way” just a week ago to “maybe under the right circumstances” and that’s a significant shift in their thinking. The “right circumstances” depend on whether five-eighth Cody Walker re-signs; if Titans forward Jai Arrow signs and gets an early release to join them from next season; just how much of Mitchell’s contract the Roosters are prepared to kick in, if any; and how many third-party agreements Souths can rustle up, if any.
It might also be contingent on them moving a player. Souths have been trying to move on Alex Johnston for 18 months. It would make sense.
Souths were hopeful of sorting out a deal with Walker late on Monday, but at the time of writing there was still no conclusion.
They were more hopeful of getting a deal done with Arrow.
Both Walker and Mitchell are represented by boxing promoter Matt Rose, despite Rose angrily denying in an interview with News Corp he was looking after Mitchell in a professional sense.
Those comments prompted a ripple of laughter among all the club representatives who have been dealing directly with Rose in the past six weeks specifically about signing Mitchell. Rose said the same thing to this column in May when Mitchell was first linked to Souths.
The person most receptive to the idea of Mitchell joining Souths is coach Wayne Bennett, which doesn’t surprise because he would back himself to clear the noise in the gifted 22-year-old’s head.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson squeezed the best out of Mitchell in the past two years. It would be fascinating to see what Bennett could do.
Mitchell would, of course, fit seamlessly into the No.1 jumper. Last year’s regular fullback, Adam Doueihi, has versatility on his side. He would play five-eighth if Walker left. RELATED ARTICLE
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But Mitchell’s move has less to do with position and more to do with money. Funny that.
Even though the Wests Tigers have withdrawn their offer, there is $1.1 million a season waiting for Mitchell at Concord if he wants it.
If Mitchell wants to do “what’s best for my family”, as he has repeatedly said, his best option is at Concord, although he seems to be doing everything he can not to end up there.
The Roosters offered him $800,000 a season to stay, but withdrew it when he said he wanted to explore his options – although he inexplicably did so without a firm offer elsewhere.
Just how much would the Rabbitohs be prepared to pay him? And how much would the Roosters be prepared to chip in for next season to get him off their books?
When Mitchell started negotiating with other clubs in early November, Roosters powerbrokers were adamant they would release him early to any team other than Souths, their foundation club nemesis.
Then, a few weeks ago, Roosters chief executive Joe Kelly reached out to the Rabbitohs, where he was chief financial officer from 2007 to 2014.
The Roosters might be prepared to pay some of Mitchell’s money for next season but there is another hitch: they've already paid him for November and also covered his payments to former manager Steve Deacon, who Mitchell severed ties with earlier this year so he could join Wayde Rushton … even though Rushton is now getting bypassed by Rose.
One way for Souths to bump up the Mitchell deal would be via third-party agreements, but the NRL might not have the appetite for that given their chest-beating late last week about how TPAs were on the decline. Given the size of the offers from the Tigers and Roosters, would the NRL be prepared to register a contract with a base salary that is considerably less? Under the game’s rules, a contract can’t be registered if the player is being paid well below his market value.
So if Mitchell’s future is to be sorted this week, there’s a lot of issues that will need solving.
Clubs want their rosters sorted before the start of the New Year, when rep players return from their off-season breaks and preparations ramp up ahead of the season.
Mitchell and his inner-circle – hell, all of us – have bemoaned the constant speculation and that’s fair enough. This is becoming as tedious and punishing as the great Daly Cherry-Evans backflip of 2015.
But he will have to excuse the cynics who understand there's a game within a game; of lies, deception, positioning. When Mitchell was linked to Souths in May after Greg Inglis' shock retirement, he scoffed at reports he could ever replace him.
“I don’t know where it came from,” Mitchell said. “I have never even thought about going to Souths.’’
Christmas is about to come early: the Latrell Mitchell contract saga is expected to be resolved by the end of this week. The Roosters have told Mitchell’s management — whoever that is these days — they want him off their books by January 1. At the same time, they are softening their stance on the possibility of him heading to arch-rivals South Sydney. In turn, South Sydney are softening their rhetoric about having no interest in him. The Rabbitohs have gone from “no way” just a week ago to “maybe under the right circumstances” and that’s a significant shift in their thinking. The “right circumstances” depend on whether five-eighth Cody Walker re-signs; if Titans forward Jai Arrow signs and gets an early release to join them from next season; just how much of Mitchell’s contract the Roosters are prepared to kick in, if any; and how many third-party agreements Souths can rustle up, if any.
It might also be contingent on them moving a player. Souths have been trying to move on Alex Johnston for 18 months. It would make sense.
Souths were hopeful of sorting out a deal with Walker late on Monday, but at the time of writing there was still no conclusion.
They were more hopeful of getting a deal done with Arrow.
Both Walker and Mitchell are represented by boxing promoter Matt Rose, despite Rose angrily denying in an interview with News Corp he was looking after Mitchell in a professional sense.
Those comments prompted a ripple of laughter among all the club representatives who have been dealing directly with Rose in the past six weeks specifically about signing Mitchell. Rose said the same thing to this column in May when Mitchell was first linked to Souths.
The person most receptive to the idea of Mitchell joining Souths is coach Wayne Bennett, which doesn’t surprise because he would back himself to clear the noise in the gifted 22-year-old’s head.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson squeezed the best out of Mitchell in the past two years. It would be fascinating to see what Bennett could do.
Mitchell would, of course, fit seamlessly into the No.1 jumper. Last year’s regular fullback, Adam Doueihi, has versatility on his side. He would play five-eighth if Walker left. RELATED ARTICLE
Add to shortlist
But Mitchell’s move has less to do with position and more to do with money. Funny that.
Even though the Wests Tigers have withdrawn their offer, there is $1.1 million a season waiting for Mitchell at Concord if he wants it.
If Mitchell wants to do “what’s best for my family”, as he has repeatedly said, his best option is at Concord, although he seems to be doing everything he can not to end up there.
The Roosters offered him $800,000 a season to stay, but withdrew it when he said he wanted to explore his options – although he inexplicably did so without a firm offer elsewhere.
Just how much would the Rabbitohs be prepared to pay him? And how much would the Roosters be prepared to chip in for next season to get him off their books?
When Mitchell started negotiating with other clubs in early November, Roosters powerbrokers were adamant they would release him early to any team other than Souths, their foundation club nemesis.
Then, a few weeks ago, Roosters chief executive Joe Kelly reached out to the Rabbitohs, where he was chief financial officer from 2007 to 2014.
The Roosters might be prepared to pay some of Mitchell’s money for next season but there is another hitch: they've already paid him for November and also covered his payments to former manager Steve Deacon, who Mitchell severed ties with earlier this year so he could join Wayde Rushton … even though Rushton is now getting bypassed by Rose.
One way for Souths to bump up the Mitchell deal would be via third-party agreements, but the NRL might not have the appetite for that given their chest-beating late last week about how TPAs were on the decline. Given the size of the offers from the Tigers and Roosters, would the NRL be prepared to register a contract with a base salary that is considerably less? Under the game’s rules, a contract can’t be registered if the player is being paid well below his market value.
So if Mitchell’s future is to be sorted this week, there’s a lot of issues that will need solving.
Clubs want their rosters sorted before the start of the New Year, when rep players return from their off-season breaks and preparations ramp up ahead of the season.
Mitchell and his inner-circle – hell, all of us – have bemoaned the constant speculation and that’s fair enough. This is becoming as tedious and punishing as the great Daly Cherry-Evans backflip of 2015.
But he will have to excuse the cynics who understand there's a game within a game; of lies, deception, positioning. When Mitchell was linked to Souths in May after Greg Inglis' shock retirement, he scoffed at reports he could ever replace him.
“I don’t know where it came from,” Mitchell said. “I have never even thought about going to Souths.’’
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