Latrell Mitchell’s return to the NRL has been delayed again, in another devastating blow for the superstar center and ‘Bunny’.
Mitchell was in better form at the start of the season but has not featured since matchday 11.
He suffered a back injury in the 9th round and then re-aggravated it in the 11th against the Dolphins.
The then 29-year-old was hoping to return for round 17, but a calf injury further delayed his return.
In addition to the troubled calf muscle, the center continues to treat a bulging disc in the back that causes nerve pain. And now, as a result of another blow, his return has been pushed back again.
Mitchell was expected to start for the Rabbitohs next Friday night against the Storm. But on Friday Wayne Bennett said he still has two to three weeks left to prepare for the rigors of first class.
When asked when Mitchell would return, Bennett answered bluntly: “Two to three weeks.”
In this case, he will return in either the 22nd or 23rd round if there are no further complications with his recovery.
However, not everyone is convinced that he will even return this year.
Last month, leading sports commentator Adam Peacock pointed to a similar player who was dealing with a bulging disc, Jordan Thompson, and talked about how he had to have surgery to relieve sciatic nerve pain.
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, running from the lower back down through the buttocks before splitting into two branches that run through both legs.
If a bulging disc impinges on the sciatic nerve, it can cause pain not only in the back, but also in the legs.
“It looks like one of Luttrell’s discs is just cutting into his sciatic nerve, causing havoc,” Peacock told SEN.
“It causes all this referred pain – sometimes down to the foot – you don’t play rugby league with that.”
Even if surgery is not required, his delayed return will be a devastating blow for the Bunnies, who are desperate for the return of their star player as they aim for a finals appearance in 2026.
Souths are currently sixth in the league table with 24 points.
However, the four teams below all have byes, with the Rabbitohs receiving all three byes.