South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett has firmly rejected the idea that Latrell Mitchell‘s next contract should be weighed down by injury clauses, calling the proposal a “terrible idea” this week. The suggestion, which surfaced in media reports, floated the possibility of tying Mitchell’s seven-figure salary to how many games he actually plays each season — an arrangement Bennett wants nothing to do with.
Mitchell is due for his next contract in December 2027, meaning that Mitchell will be able to begin negotiations with other teams starting from November onwards, if he is not already signed by Souths. It seems that with talks of his contract underway and Mitchell having been suffering with a series of injuries, Bennett’s quotes make it clear where he stands on the matter. It’s quite clear that Bennett believes that Mitchell’s worth to the club is much more than just the injuries he keeps getting.
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Wayne Bennett’s Strong Stance Against Injury Clauses
Bennett didn’t hold back when reporters raised the idea of building performance or fitness-based clauses into Mitchell’s next deal. Reports had suggested a contract could reduce his salary if he failed to hit certain games-played targets, an arrangement with echoes of what Tom Trbojevic reportedly explored at Manly back in 2024, before the NRL stepped in and blocked it. Bennett was blunt in shutting that idea down, saying it was “a terrible idea” and that he simply wasn’t interested.
It was quite clear in its logic – in Bennett’s opinion, injuries were just a matter of misfortune, unrelated to the players’ dedication and work. As Bennett emphasized, both Mitchell and Trbojevic shouldn’t be faulted for problems beyond their control, which have no connection whatsoever to the players’ training efforts. It was Bennett’s firm belief that in any contract there could be no exceptions for the number of minutes a player spends on the pitch. According to him, that sort of thing just does not exist at well-managed clubs, and Bennett had no intentions of making an exception for Souths.
Injuries of Latrell Mitchell: History and Present Condition
The reasons for the discussion should be apparent to everyone. This player suffered from a series of injuries during the 2026 season, among which were calf and back injuries that are now associated with damage to nerves. The player last played in round nine of the season and is currently consulting with a neurologist trying to return to the game prior to the finals. It is worth noting that in seven seasons playing for Redfern, Mitchell did not manage to play 20 games in a season once.
It is no wonder that Souths have found it difficult to do well in his absence because they have won only four of the nine games they have played thus far, leaving them at number seven on the ladder and battling to hang onto their finals position. However, while Bennett admits that he does not know whether Mitchell will make it back in time for the end-of-season finals, he says that he is still optimistic that he will be back before the season ends and describes him as “someone who’s doing absolutely everything he possibly can.”