Mitchell warned over cost of ditching Roosters
True Blue Paul Gallen has warned Latrell Mitchell over the danger of leaving the Sydney Roosters and how it could hurt him financially and cost him any future success in the game.
Mitchell has another year to go at the NRL Premier but his future is up in the air after the Roosters yanked an $800,000, two-year deal off the table.
The Kangaroos centre has been linked to other clubs including Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, North Queensland Cowboys and Wests Tigers although the Dogs’ interest has allegedly waned.
Gallen, who spent his NRL career at Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks with whom he won a premiership with in 2016, applauded the Roosters for the way they have handled the situation.
He said the tricolours had shown with Mitchell Pearce they weren’t afraid to make tough decisions, after they released the former halfback to Newcastle Knights so they could sign Cooper Cronk.
“The Roosters, that’s what they are,” Gallen told Sports Sunday.
“They’re ruthless, they’re ruthless in their business mindset and they’re ruthless in the players they want there. Look at the success they have. Over the past 20 years they’ve averaged a Grand Final every two or three years. That’s success.
“Now if he (Mitchell) goes to another club, and I’m looking at the other clubs there that he’s talking about going to and I can’t see them having the success the Roosters are going to have at a club in the short-term future.”
Gallen said Mitchell will play his best football wherever he is happiest but warned him against turning his back on a club he won back-to-back premierships with.
He said the Roosters sustained success in the NRL had helped him achieve higher representative honours which he might miss out on if he signs for a club striving for consistency.
“I’ve been at a club where I stayed for loyalty, not for money, had some really, really tough years,” Gallen said.
“Let me tell you, when you go out and you’re playing against a team like the Roosters and you’re about to go on the field and you look at your roster around you, you think, ‘We’re going to need everyone in our team to play their best and we’re going to need everyone in their team to play their worst for us to win today.’ You get to stages like that.
“Now, for an extra couple of hundred thousand dollars a year, I’m not sure it’s worth it and if you go to another club that’s not successful, he probably misses out on State of Origin, he probably misses out on playing for Australia, now that’s probably $150,000 a year there.
“If he’s hunting success at the Roosters he probably picks up a third party here or there, that’s another 25 to 50 grand a year, there’s your $200,000 there.
“As I said go where you’re happy Latrell but success is a big thing in Rugby League.”