South Sydney’s decision to send Latrell Mitchell to the US in order to fix lingering hamstring issues could be viewed as one of the smartest investments in the club’s history if the Rabbitohs can keep their dominant run going into the NRL finals.
Mitchell’s spectacular form has seen the Rabbitohs go on a mini run, with the club climbing to seventh in the NRL standings after winning three straight matches to start July.
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The 25-year-old was sent to the US earlier in the year after his second major hamstring injury sparked South Sydney into action, setting up appointments with world-renowned reconditioning specialist Bill Knowles.
And according to The Sydney Morning Herald, the Rabbitohs constructed a cost-effective plan to send their star to the best place for treatment without it causing complications with the NRL.
While initial reports said the trip would cost an estimated $70,000, the Rabbitohs got away with spending as little as $12,000 for the trip with the help of a club sponsor who chipped in $45,000 to aid Mitchell’s rehabilitation. Mitchell’s trip in it’s entirety cost $57,000.
Furthermore, the trip wasn’t included in their football department cap because they were cleared by the NRL as “medical expenses.”
The Bunnies have also seen a benefit off the field as well, with a two-part documentary of Mitchell’s trip titled Pushing Boundaries, racking up more than one million views across their social media platforms, becoming the most watched content at the club since Sam Burgess’ photo story of his wedding.
“Latrell is in a great place, but we’ll know more at the back end of the year – it wasn’t just about getting back and playing footy, it was about staying healthy this year and the years beyond,” Coach Jason Demetriou told the Herald.
“I still think there’s more in him, he’ll get better each week, and over the next month we’ll see the best of him.
“He’s a presence. He’s the kind of guy who says, ‘come with me’, and people follow him. Having guys like Damien Cook and Cam [Murray] back this week [after an Origin break] will be a massive help because they do that as well.”
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