Latrell Mitchell says he wants to finish his career at South Sydney after signing a new contract extension alongside Cody Walker.
Key points:
- Latrell Mitchell has re-signed with South Sydney until the end of 2027
- Mitchell wants to stay with the Rabbitohs for the rest of his career
- Five-eighth Cody Walker has also re-signed with the club and will stay in Redfern until the end of 2025
On Wednesday, the Rabbitohs announced fullback Mitchell would be staying put until at least the end of 2027 while also unveiling a two-year contract extension for five-eighth Walker.
Mitchell, 25, was a revelation in 2022 after returning from an extended hamstring injury lay-off and combined with Walker to form a lethal combination down the left edge on the road to the preliminary finals.
The pair’s previous contracts expired at the end of 2023 but shunned rival interest to continue perfecting their chemistry at Redfern.
“I’m definitely grateful to be able to set my future in concrete here,” Mitchell said on Wednesday.
“I want to be here for the rest of my career. I definitely feel at home here and that’s all that matters to me — that home feeling.
“It’s a pretty emotional day.”
Walker will be 35 by the time his deal runs out but having not made his NRL debut until 2016, he said he did not intend the new contract to be his last.
Mitchell has become one of the best players in rugby league since joining Souths. (Getty Images: Jason McCawley)
“Don’t write me off,” he said. “I started a little bit later, it’ll probably help prolong my career a bit.
“I’ve let myself grow into the body and wasn’t taking the hits at age 18 and 19.
“Touch wood. We’ll see what happens.”
Coach Jason Demetriou said retaining the pair marked a significant day for the Rabbitohs.
“They’re two players who influence the people around them, on the field and off the field,” he said.
“They’re two players that you know in big games can deliver.
“I’m really pleased for these players and the club to be able to set their futures up.”
Now the Rabbitohs have squeezed Walker, Mitchell and star hooker Damien Cook under the salary cap, they can enjoy a pre-season without distraction as they look to translate sustained success into silverware.
The Rabbitohs are the only side to have qualified for the preliminary finals in each of the last five seasons but have no premierships to show for that consistency.
“We can be proud of what we’ve done and what we’ve achieved but at the end of the day we haven’t got that premiership and that’s what we’re chasing,” Walker said.
AAP
Source:: ABC News
