South Sydney players will reportedly refuse to accept the Clive Churchill Medal after the rugby legend’s son branded Latrell Mitchell a ‘cancer‘.
The prospect of the Rabbitohs winning the premiership may seem unlikely given their current form, but according to the Daily Telegraph the players have vowed to snub the man-of-the-match award should they win the Grand Final.
The decision comes after Rod Churchill launched a scathing attack on Mitchell, describing the superstar fullback as a ‘myth’, ‘overrated’ and an ’embarrassment’ to the club.
Mitchell, incidentally, will miss Friday’s clash against the Sydney Roosters that Souths must win to make the finals this season.
‘If you look at it objectively, he’s been very disappointing and just hasn’t delivered,’ Churchill, the son of rugby league immortal and South legend Clive Churchill, told News Corp on Saturday.
Latrell Mitchell has been branded a ‘cancer’ and a ‘myth’ by Rod Churchill, the son of South Sydney legend Clive Churchill
Sam Burgess won the Clive Churchill Medal when Souths last clinched the premiership in 2014
But Souths players could refuse to accept the award should they win the Grand Final
‘In fact some weeks he’s been an embarrassment to the No.1 jersey.
‘I think he’s overrated. And sometimes I wonder if he cares enough. It’s a fact that he’s being paid as a marquee player but hasn’t stepped up when required.’
Churchill went on to suggest the 26-year-old had not ‘turned up’ when it mattered since joining the Rabbitohs in 2020 and criticised the hype surrounding him.
News Corp also reported Churchill allegedly described the New South Wales star as a ‘cancer’ on the Bunnies in a text message he sent to South chairman Nick Pappas.
The astonishing outburst prompted a wave of support for Mitchell, both from within the club and the NRL.
‘Our club has always had the utmost respect for the Churchill family and Clive’s enormous contribution to the Rabbitohs,’ Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly said.
‘But on these comments I completely disagree with Rod. Latrell’s passion and commitment to the club is also unquestionable.’
On Sunday, rugby league supremo Peter V’landys also took Mitchell’s defence, praising him for being ‘a very good person’ and a role model for Indigenous kids.
Souths boss Jason Demetriou (left) and CEO Blake Solly (right) have defended Mitchell
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has also come out in support of the Souths fullback
‘I think it’s about time people backed off. Enough is enough. Leave the guy alone,’ he told News Corp.
‘He does a lot of great things behind the scenes that people don’t see.
‘From my experiences with him he’s a very good person. He’s high profile – and I understand that – but he is still a human being. […] He’s such a great role model for Indigenous kids.
‘They want to be Latrell Mitchell. It gives them hope in life.’
Churchill’s verbal salvo on Mitchell comes as the Bunnies’ hopes of making the finals look to unravel on and off the field.
The Rabbitohs’ season was plunged in turmoil last week when assistant coaches Burgess and John Morris reportedly spoke to Bunnies boss Jason Demetriou over his perceived special treatment of Mitchell and Cody Walker.
Burgess and Morris parted ways with the club two days later, with the former reportedly involved in a fiery conversation with Rabbitohs co-owner Russel Crowe.
After pacing the NRL for the first half of the season, the Rabbitohs have fallen off badly Mitchell has come under the most scrutiny.
The $1million fullback has been called out for a series of ‘lazy’ incidents both on and off the field.
He will miss the Rabbitohs’ clash with the Roosters in Round 27 for elbowing Newcastle forward Tyson Frizell in his team’s 29-10 loss to the Knights a week ago, an incident which Demetriou described as ‘silly’.
Mitchell has been criticised for disappointing performances recently as the Rabbitohs have fallen down the ladder and risk missing out on the finals
Cody Walker is also under the microscope after reportedly having a heated clash with head coach Demetriou after the club’s loss to the Sharks earlier this month
The Australian international didn’t help his case after he was spotted downing beers on stage with country singer Luke Coombs in Sydney in the days leading up to the Knights defeat.
But Solly vehemently slammed the suggestion the star duo were being held to different standards than their teammates.
‘How dare people question their commitment to the club,’ he told the Daily Telegraph on Thursday.
‘The stuff being said around Cody and Latrell is complete c**p. No-one should ever question their dedication to this club.’