Biosecurity ban on seeing family takes toll on tearful Latrell

The pressures of living in a bubble and not being allowed to see his family were the reasons for Latrell Mitchell's post match tears in the South Sydney dressing sheds. Most of Mitchell's teammates were unaware he needed to be consoled by coach Wayne Bennett after the 40-12 thrashing of the New Zealand Warriors. Bennett refused to shed light on the matter, and there has since been debate about whether TV cameras should be allowed into a team's dressing room. Mitchell's brief outburst had nothing to do with his run-in with Wayde Egan, who was charged by the match review committee with grade two contrary conduct and faces a week on the sidelines. Egan was cleared of eye gouging because of a lack of video evidence.

Mitchell has found it tough not seeing his loved ones on the NSW north coast as the players were forced to follow strict guidelines to ensure the NRL competition continued. The touching moment with Bennett was so brief that Mitchell took part in singing the team song and was later cracking jokes with players in the shower. Mitchell was also cleared of a high tackle on Warriors winger David Fusitu'a who was forced from the field due to a concussion. It's understood the match review committee felt Fusitu'a had stepped inside Mitchell and was falling, and the actual contact was glancing rather than forceful.

He will be free to take on Penrith in a blockbuster Thursday night clash that could also feature the return of centre James Roberts. Mitchell took to social media to speak of his pride at getting the chance to play alongside Cody Walker for his 100th NRL game.

Braidon Burns said, Mitchell 23 had done a remarkable job coping with the media speculation about his life and the transition to fullback.

Burns said, He's still pretty young and way he handles all the media stuff and what he goes through is a credit to him. Not many people around the same age as Trell would handle it the way he has. He blocks all the media stuff out and sticks to his family he has really strong family connections and it helps keep him grounded.

Mitchell would often make hit and run trips to Taree to be with family but has been denied that luxury in recent months.

Souths CEO Blake Solly said, what the players had given up could not be underestimated. Everyone needs to understand the pressure and restrictions all players are living with at the moment. The freedoms that we've increasingly been granted as the [COVID] infection rate has fallen the players haven’t shared. Instead they are quarantined to an extent none of us faced, even at the worst of the pandemic. They have been compliant and made huge sacrifices to keep the industry alive and many of us employed. That needs to be recognised and acknowledged.

Bennett said after the Bunnies' second win in a row about Mitchell. He may well have been [upset] but it's got nothing to do with you. The change room for me has always been a sacred place and unfortunately the game gave away a lot of our rights to those places in my mind and in my head, it's a place where we can go and be who we want to be and not have to answer anyone. Souths and the Panthers have plenty of upside with Penrith slight favourites for the Campbelltown Stadium clash.