The next time a Rabbitohs player wins man-of-the-match in the NRL grand final, players will reportedly refuse to accept the Clive Churchill Medal after the club legend’s son’s scathing text was revealed.
Rod Churchill labelled Souths fullback Latrell Mitchell a “cancer” following his side’s loss to the Eels in Indigenous Round in May this season.
The text, which was sent to club chairman Nick Pappas and reported by the SMH read: “Where was the human headline Mitchell tonight Nicholas? Missing again, this was his big game apparently? Your club will not win another comp for another 40 years if this imposter remains at Souths.
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“He is a complete myth who has the aboriginal cause paramount and south sydney second, if at all. I hope you and family are well. Nothing was done and now this cancer that is Mitchell has ruined the club.”
According to The Daily Telegraph, Rabbitohs players will now take a stand should one of their squad win the medal awarded to Dylan Edwards from the Panthers in 2022.
Souths as a club were left infuriated by Churchill’s text and chief executive Blake Solly has reportedly raised the issue to both Andrew Abdo and Peter V’landys.
“It was disappointing… there’s been so much sniping going on at that club over the last week or two and I think this was over the top,” veteran rugby league reporter Phil Rothfield said on BSB.
“The only defence of Rod Churchill, so many people are doing it behind others backs. Some of the stuff, one of the reasons Sam Burgess left was things he’d been saying that got back to the club about Latrell.
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“At least Churchill put his name to it and had the balls to do that and be public about it… but it’s going to have an enormous backlash.
“I’m not saying Souths are going to win a grand final anytime soon, they just aren’t playing well enough, but when they do there won’t just be a reluctance to go on to stage and accept to Churchill Medal.
“I think there will be a point blank refusal to do it, which is sad that it has come to that. The players are fully behind Latrell.
“Everyone at Souths knows he needs to pull his finger out… he probably needs to get himself a bit fitter too and that act of stupidity means he won’t be playing in the blockbuster on Friday.
“It was just too heavy what was said about him over the weekend.”
V’landys also went in to bat for Mitchell, stating: “It’s about time people backed off”.
“Enough is enough. Leave the guy alone,” V’landys said to News Corp.
“He does a lot of great things behind the scenes that people don’t see. From my experiences with him he’s a very good person.
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“He’s high profile – and I understand that – but he is still a human being. He’s a good father and husband.
“He’s such a great role model for Indigenous kids. They want to be Latrell Mitchell. It gives them hope in life.”
Rothfield also revealed that Rabbitohs officials hold private fears that Mitchell could leave the sport, despite being contracted until the end of 2027.
The gun fullback consistently travels to his own farm to take respite and escape the NRL bubble, being granted leave during Round 26 when the Rabbitohs had a bye.
“There’s a few people at Souths worried about Latrell and worried about whether this constant barrage will drive him out of football,” Rothfield said.
“Blake Solly told me over the weekend that he’s got a contract until the end of 2027 but he’s really, really down in the dumps with what has happened.
“But there is an option for a quieter life on his farm, personally I think that is an overreaction.”
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