League icon Phil Gould has shut down suggestions South Sydney should switch Latrell Mitchell back to centre as the club looks to rescue its season.
The fullback starred for the Roosters during his time as a centre at the Tricolours and has been instrumental for the Blues in State of Origin on an edge.
However, due to the Rabbitohs’ three-match losing streak to start the season, there have been calls for Mitchell to return to his old position.
Despite criticism of Mitchell’s form, former Blues captain Paul Gallen emphasised that his numbers have improved this season.
“Statistically he actually is more involved, statistically he’s touched the ball more than he has the past two season and is making more metres,” Gallen said on Nine’s 100% Footy.
“The thing I think happens with Latrell is we compare him to James Tedesco and Dylan Edwards, he’s not that player, he doesn’t base his game off effort, I think he’s getting better at that but he never has based his game off effort.
“He will have a 10 out of 10 game one week and then he’ll go back to just being Latrell and cruising through and doing what he’s got to do. He’s never been a James Tedesco or Dylan Edwards who play eight out of 10 every week … I think we’ve got to stop comparing him to some other fullbacks in the competition and understand he’s his own person, his own type of fullback.
“And when he gets it right, he gets it right, but when he doesn’t get it right he can be lazy at times and there’s a lot of footage going around of him at the moment where tries are getting scored and he’s not in the picture, but that’s just Latrell.”
