The long-running saga over Latrell Mitchell's NRL future has reportedly ended, with the representative centre signing a cut-price deal with South Sydney.
Mitchell's future has been up in air for several weeks, despite the 22-year-old being under contract with the Sydney Roosters for 2020.
The two-time defending NRL champions granted Mitchell leave before the start of their pre-season training, and the Kangaroos and NSW representative appears to have played his last game for the Roosters, with Souths winning the race for his signature.
The Rabbitohs had tabled a one-year deal worth AU$400,000 to Mitchell, but Gold Coast's reluctance to allow forward Jai Arrow to join Souths in 2020 may have allowed the Redfern-based club to increase their offer.
Before any announcement is made official, NRL salary cap auditor Richard Gardham must ratify the move.
In another stumbling block to the move, the Sydney Morning Herald reports the Roosters are also expected to ask for the $116,000 they have paid Mitchell since November to be returned to them.
Gardham has announced he'll use the earnings of every player in the competition to determine Mitchell's market value, with the Souths deal far less than the reported $1 million per season he was offered by Wests Tigers and a withdrawn $800,000-per-year deal from the Roosters.
AAP
