A “fit and dangerous” Latrell Mitchell is targeting a State of Origin and NRL return after his two-week stint in the US to treat his injured hamstring with renowned specialist Bill Knowles.
Mitchell flew into Sydney from Los Angeles on Thursday morning following 16 days stateside to repair the tendon tear in his left hamstring that has ruled him out of the Blues series opener next week.
A South Sydney return could come as early as next Friday’s clash with the Titans on the Gold Coast,though Mitchell said he wouldn’t pencil in a comeback date until he returns to team training.
“We’ll see how we go. I’ll get back to the team,train with them and see how we go,” Mitchell said. “I can’t wait to get back to the boys and start training. Obviously we’ve got the bye this week and Origin,so good luck to those fellas,but I’m keen to get back in a team environment.”
Mitchell’s looming return has been welcomed in Blues camp,with left-centre replacement Jack Wighton keeping a close eye on the Rabbitohs star’s prolific social media coverage of his work with Knowles.
If Mitchell sits out the round 14 trip to the Glitter Strip a return the following week against St George Illawarra would still give him an 80-minute hit out before Origin II in Perth on June 26.
Knowles,who has worked with Tiger Woods,NFL quarterback great Peyton Manning and former New York Yankees favourite Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez among other luminaries,has had Mitchell performing a series of eye-catching balancing and stretching exercises over the past fortnight at his Philadelphia base.
“I’m a circus freak now,” Mitchell quipped of one video that showed him twirling hula hoops on a bar while balancing on a bosu ball.