Rabbitohs recruit Brandon Smith has revealed he and Latrell Mitchell have become close friends after reaching out to the superstar fullback amid reports of his potential switch.
However, there was a time when the pair had a bubbling feud.
It stemmed from a Round 2 clash between the Storm and Rabbitohs in 2022, with Mitchell kicking a two-point field goal to take the game into golden point before holding his hand to his ear to silence the AAMI Park crowd.
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Melbourne fullback Ryan Papenhuzyen went on to slot the winning drop goal, before Smith mimicked Mitchell which was said to have left Rabbitohs bosses fuming.
To add insult to injury, the Storm forward wasn’t even playing in the game and was sitting on the sidelines.
Regardless, the exiled Roosters star revealed there was no bad blood with Mitchell who had since emerged as one of his closest allies.
“I went through my dramas with Melbourne, and he was one of the guys that was the first to message me, one of the first to offer me a hand in any way,” Smith said to the SMH.
“I didn’t have the highest opinion of him at the time. I just didn’t think that I meant anything to him at that point.
“And to be honest, there’s probably people that didn’t message me that I thought would. So for him to do such a thing, from there on, we’ve kept in contact, and we get along really well.
“It’s warming to be able to go to a club with that guy. I know someone in that club cares for me deeply, and Latrell’s one of them. That’s pretty cool to say.
“I think there’s a lot more to Latrell Mitchell than people think. That sideline ‘piss take’ … yeah he didn’t care, he shut me down pretty quickly. We’re all good.”
Smith has been front and centre in the headlines after it emerged the Rabbitohs were set to pay a transfer fee to secure his services early.
Under the terms of the agreement, Souths will have to pay $180,000 in the form of a transfer fee, using the remainder saved on his $800,000 a year contract to top up a number of rising stars.
Meanwhile, the funds could also be used to lure Daly Cherry-Evans across to the Tricolours in 2026.
However, speaking on Triple M, Smith revealed the moment he found out the Roosters were ready to give him the boot.
“Everything was a little bit harder because I just finished a wedding and then I found out about all the news the morning after the wedding,” he said.
“It was very hard and my emotions were a little bit touchy at that time.
Phins hold off Eels in thrilling clash | 02:33
“(I was aware of) none of it really. The journos know more than I do about the whole situation. Obviously there’s conversations happening in the background I’m not aware of.
“But I didn’t want to go, that’s all I’m saying. I didn’t want to go, I told my manager I wanted to stick it out and I find out that morning they wanted me gone.
“I don’t have any problems with them wanting me to go, I understand it from a business point of view but it was a real shock real quickly.”
Wayne Bennett, meanwhile, had no concerns regarding whether Smith and Mitchell would get along.
“We have a few big personalities here, so he won’t be out of place,” Bennett said.
“I’m sure they’ll get along well. We’ll make that happen.
“Hopefully [the deal] will get sorted out over the weekend, and Brandon will know where he stands. Hopefully he will be here with us.
“He’ll be wanted here. We’ll welcome him with open arms.”
THE BRIMSON CALL THAT COULD DECIDE PONGA’S FUTURE
Titans star AJ Brimson has reportedly switched his international allegiance to England, which could open the door for Kalyn Ponga to make a shock move.
According to Code Sports, The International Rugby League (IRL) tribunal made the unanimous decision to grant Brimson’s request for an allegiance switch.
The former Maroons representative will now be free to face Australia in this year’s Ashes series, which is set to take place following the 2025 NRL season.
Brimson previously played for Australia in the 2019 World Cup Nines outfit, alongside four appearances for Queensland with the last coming in 2023.
Meanwhile, following the 2024 season, speculation was running rife surrounding Ponga’s international future.
The Knights superstar pulled out of the selection race to be included in the Kangaroos Pacific Championships campaign, before backflipping an ultimately not being selected.
At the time, the IRL tribunal claimed Ponga’s previous World Cup Nines appearance for Australia ruled him ineligible to play for New Zealand.
Now, with Brimson having his decision handed down, the door is open for Ponga to make an allegiance switch should he have a desire to represents the Kiwis.
Phins hold off Eels in thrilling clash | 02:33
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“At the time, the 9s World Cup was part of IRL’s calendar planning and it was intended to be held every four years,” an IRL statement read.
“However, the tournament has effectively been discontinued and is not part of IRL’s medium term planning.
“Therefore, the tribunal felt that players who had played in the 2019 World Cup 9s were being unfairly restricted as they elected for their country based on a different set of circumstances to players who elect for a country through a 13-a-side match.”
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