Suspended South Sydney star Latrell Mitchell has broken his silence on his controversial four-match ban, declaring he will be ready to make his State of Origin return if selected by NSW Blues boss Brad Fittler.
Mitchell was leading the Dally M medal count after a blistering start to his second season at Redfern.
But the 23-year-old will miss the Rabbitohs' next four matches against the Titans, Raiders, Storm and Sharks after he was found guilty of grade two dangerous contact on Wests Tigers winger David Nofoaluma.
He will have just two outings – against the Panthers in Round 11 on May 23 and the Eels six days later – to force his way into the Blues squad for the June 9 series opener at the MCG.
Mitchell told NITV his enforced layoff is a time to ‘freshen up’ and vowed to view the setback ‘as a positive’.
The ex-Sydney Rooster was sensationally axed from the Blues squad following Game 1 of the 2019 interstate series against the Queensland Maroons.
He had a well-documented falling out with Brad Fittler following his shock demotion and was unavailable for last year’s 2-1 series defeat in November due to the serious hamstring injury that ended his 2020 campaign.
Mitchell insists he has mended his relationship with Fittler and vowed to let his on-field exploits do the talking when he returns from his four-game hiatus.
“We’ve got over our little tiff … but it is what it is man, that’s footy,” Mitchell told NITV's Over The Black Dot.
“He’s got to make a decision at the end of the day and he did but like I said to him, I said mate, ‘I’m going to play some good footy so when the time comes around and you’re ready to pick, I’m ready’.”
