South Sydney issue Latrell Mitchell with show cause notice

Latrell Mitchell will need to front the South Sydney board next week to explain himself after the club issued him with a show cause notice tonight.

One of the NRL’s most high profile and well paid stars could have his contract terminated, fined a quarter of his yearly salary ($250,000) or suspended for 18 games by the Rabbitohs.

The club wants to avoid a lengthy suspension with new coach Wayne Bennett taking over next year meaning a large fine is likely to be handed down, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Bennett has pledged to help Mitchell turn his career, and his life, around.

The besieged fullback had until Thursday night to respond to a breach notice issued by the NRL over a social media picture that showed him leaning over a table with white powder on it.

Believed to have been taken while Mitchell was in Dubbo for a football clinic earlier this month, the image prompted the latest round of headlines centring around the game’s most recognisable player.

Mitchell raised eyebrows with a profane radio interview in March and missed three games for raising his elbow into Shaun Johnson’s face while coach Jason Demetriou’s job was on the line the next month.

Canterbury football boss and media pundit Phil Gould has been among Mitchell’s most vocal critics this week, questioning his professionalism and Souths’ management of their star man.

Teammate Keaon Koloamatangi defended the Rabbitohs playmaker on Wednesday.

“It’s everyone’s opinion but I know Latrell. He’s a good mate of mine and I know the person he is.

“I guess that’s the sport we play. If you do something wrong, you get hammered for it. Obviously Latrell’s the biggest name in our game and if something was to happen, he gets hammered for it.

“I checked in on him to make sure he was all right. Trell’s all right, he’ll be sweet.”

Koloamatangi backed the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) as it seeks to have Mitchell serve a one-week ban he is likely to get from the NRLthis year, while sidelined with the season-ending foot injury.

The RLPA says the NRL’s rules state that when a player receives a ban from the NRL “that cancellation or suspension will take effect immediately”.

“I’m not too sure what’s happening with that but all the boys are behind the RLPA with whatever they do,” Koloamatangi said.

“They’ve got the best interests of the boys so I’m sure they’ll do a good job.”

Inspirational captain Cameron Murray refused to answer questions about Mitchell during a Rabbitohs press conference on Wednesday.

The famously tenacious Murray rarely shies away from hard work on the field but twice said he was “not really keen to talk about” Mitchell, who is currently on a leave of absence from the club.

Asked whether club captains should have an opinion on team matters, Murray said: “I’ll keep my opinion quiet.”

“They’re conversations I’ve had between me and Latrell, out of respect for Latrell and everything he’s gone through over the last couple of weeks,” he said.