‘It’s time to pay Souths back’: Latrell ready to make up for lost time

“He’s a cool cat, he just does things that no one else does,” Mitchell said of Knowles. “It works for him and it works for me. Personally, I’ve grown as an athlete and a trainer as well. I’m really excited to keep the stuff that I’ve learnt and keep working on that, implementing that into the way I play the game.

“Some of the things are beneficial and it’s just about practising them now and putting them towards the craft I have.”

Mitchell’s training day now begins about an hour before that of his teammates, time he uses to go through an “individualised routine” of stretches and drills.

“I get there early, I’m pretty much the first one there,” Mitchell said at a promotion for the Battle of the Brothers, a boxing showdown between the siblings of world title contender Tim Tszyu and former world champion Jeff Horn.

“I need to make sure I’m doing my mobility stretching and all of my strength stuff to prepare myself for the day of training. That’s the challenge now, to keep all the stuff I learnt and break that injury barrier. I reckon I’m on the verge of doing that.

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“We’ve got really good medical staff and great people in my life who have helped me along the way.”

Asked if the knowledge garnered from his overseas trip will make him a better footballer, Mitchell said: “I don’t know, I haven’t played in 12 weeks. It’s exciting to see how I put all this stuff I’m doing at training into my game. I’m definitely keen to see me pay it forward.”

Mitchell hasn’t been idle while on the sidelines. The former Rooster has launched a clothing brand, Winmarra, a chance to get in touch with his entrepreneurial side.

“It’s connected to a significant meaning,” Mitchell said of the brand. “For me, it’s about getting back home to Taree, that’s my connection. That’s the feeling around this brand, feeling connected to what you believe in.

“If that’s family, that’s where you’re from, that’s where your beliefs are. I enjoy it because I get to see people wear it at games.”

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