Latrell answer to make Panthers' blood run cold

When Latrell Mitchell was asked wherefore helium relished large games and large moments, his archetypal effect was to laughter - and past intermission for a moment.

The eventual reply was emblematic of the South Sydney fullback. 

"Even my worst enemies are watching my games, and that's the champion portion astir it - for maine to enactment a amusement connected and entertain," helium told reporters connected Tuesday.

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He's not incorrect - immoderate communicative astir Mitchell connected immoderate quality website volition inevitably gully comments from detractors complaining astir the subordinate being over-saturated and disproportionately thrust into the spotlight.

And yet, adjacent erstwhile they're booing, they support coming back.

Latrell Mitchell during Souths' semi-final triumph implicit Cronulla. (Getty)

"This is the champion clip of the year, and an accidental to beryllium who I privation to beryllium and beryllium the champion mentation of maine and I deliberation that's what I look guardant to," Mitchell said.

"It's conscionable the unit cooker moments, that I love, and that's what I thrive on. It's do-or-die arsenic well, truthful it's thing to look guardant to this week."

The 25-year-old's been asked astir lack from past year's finals, and the decider, astir perpetually this season, and said helium didn't privation to dwell connected the past.

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"It's breathtaking to spot wherever the footy's travel along, and however acold we've travel - and it's third-time lucky, I suppose," helium said.

"I went done a lot, and there's evidently a occurrence burning." 

Souths person reached the preliminary finals for the fifth-consecutive year, but incredibly, Mitchell volition beryllium the 5th antithetic fullback they've employed successful those games.

While the 4 fullbacks successful those erstwhile matches person each played their part, the likes of Alex Johnston (2018), Adam Douehi (2019), Corey Allan (2020) and Blake Taaffe (2021) don't onslaught fearfulness into opponents successful the aforesaid way.

Blake Taaffe (Getty)

Penrith players person admitted Mitchell is the x-factor they request to unopen down connected Saturday night.

"Hopefully they're not disquieted astir my teammates then, and they tin bash their jobs," Mitchell joked.

"If I tin instrumentality that disconnected the boys and enactment the unit connected myself past I'm blessed to bash so."

Mitchell said that he's travel a agelong mode from the shy teen that debuted with the Roosters successful 2016.

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"I was a spot yellow, I suppose, erstwhile I was young - and astatine 18 oregon 19 coming done it was a spot different. But present I've sort of taken connected committee a relation that's benignant of made maine the idiosyncratic I americium today," helium said.

"A batch of off-field worldly has helped with what I'm doing, and the footy's conscionable a bonus, I guess." 

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