- Rabbitohs superstar looks in career best shape
- Tipped to return from hamstring injury in April
- Vision from club social media video told the story
Delighted footy fans have dubbed Latrell Mitchell ‘Trell-Fit’ after the Rabbitohs superstar showed off his radically slimmed-down and muscled-up physique.
Mitchell, 27, is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, with South Sydney releasing vision on Wednesday that left their supporters wanting more.
In the clip, the representative centre can be seen working hard during a training session at club’s training base in Maroubra as he inches towards a return.
‘Goodness me, he looks fit,’ said one fan. ‘Had to take a second look. Solid work Trell,’ offered another.
A third simply posted: ‘Trell-Fit’, a reference to his nickname and Instagram handle ‘Trell-Mit.’
Mitchell is due to return in round five against arch-rivals the Roosters on April 4 in what looms as a mouth-watering clash at Accor Stadium.
Delighted footy fans have dubbed Latrell Mitchell ‘Trell-Fit’ after the Rabbitohs superstar clearly slimmed down in recent weeks (pictured)
Mitchell, 27, is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury and is tipped to return in early April against the Roosters
Mitchell has struggled with his weight in recent years, due to injuries and suspensions
He has certainly come a long way from August last year, where the headlines that followed Mitchell’s infamous white powder scandal from a hotel room taking its toll.
Whether he plays at fullback remains to be seen, with his replacement Jye Gray in scintillating form.
Gray tops the NRL leaderboard for both running metres and post-contact metres, with 592m and 190m respectively after two games.
While Gray’s attacking stats tell the story, South Sydney skipper Cody Walker said his defensive impact has been just as vital.
‘We all saw what he was capable of last year,’ Walker told NRL.com.
‘One of the things I love about Jye is he wants the footy. As a five-eighth, you’ve just got to give them the ball and he just does what he does.
‘The thing that gets underestimated with Jye is his defence and his ability to stop tries. [Dragons winger Christian] Tuipulotu made a clean break [last weekend] and he just grabbed him around the ankles.
‘Being that tiny, him just getting his body there to stop some tries gets underestimated a little bit.
The white powder scandal last year also took its toll on Mitchell (pictured, with wife Brielle)
‘He’s going unreal and he’s shown that since he’s been at the club that he’s just a tough little lad who gets in there and has a crack.’
Despite the loss of two of their best in Mitchell and Cameron Murray through injury, the Bunnies are undefeated through two rounds.
They racked up come-from-behind wins over the Dolphins and Dragons thanks in large part to the surprising form of halfback Jamie Humphreys.
He was signed on a bargain-basement deal from Manly in the offseason to back up high-priced British import Lewis Dodd, who was suspended for round one and picked up an injury.
Now Humphreys’ efforts have many questioning whether Dodd will win back the No.7 jersey – but the Rabbitohs face easily their biggest test against the Sharks on Saturday.
