Latrell Mitchell's return from injury to play his first game in 15 weeks has given South Sydney a boost ahead of finals as he prepares to give coach Wayne Bennett another welcome first.
Bennett has never coached Mitchell in a finals series at the Rabbitohs so the strike weapon's 30 minutes off the bench in the 42-22 win over Gold Coast on Saturday was perfect timing a fortnight from the playoffs.
Mitchell, who set up a try for versatile centre Tallis Duncan in the second half, returned with a bang from calf and back injuries that had kept him out since Magic Round.
He was put on report for a high shot on Titans fullback Keano Kini but there didn't appear to be much in it.
His next scheduled match is against his old club Sydney Roosters on Friday night, a week before the sixth placed Rabbitohs start their finals campaign.
"He hadn't played for four months and I expected what I got there today. He's only going to get better for us," Bennett said of Mitchell post-match.
"There's another chance next week to play. It is not a playoff game. It is a club game so hopefully we can keep nursing him along and keep him going through the playoffs with us.
"It is a boost (in finals) if he is playing well. The bottom line is he is coming into a good team. These guys have done a great job and I am sure he will lift."
Mitchell won his second premiership with Sydney Roosters in 2019 before linking with the Rabbitohs under Bennett in 2020 and 2021.
He missed the entire 2020 finals series with injury and the 2021 finals, including the grand final, due to suspension.
Bennett then joined the Dolphins. Last year the Rabbitohs, in Bennett's first year back at the club, did not play finals with Mitchell having another injury-interrupted season which limited him to 11 matches.
Five-eighth Cody Walker, who played with Mitchell in the 2022 finals series when Jason Demetriou was coach, said his return had come at just the right time.
"It's huge to have players of Latrell's calibre back in the team after being out for so long," Walker told AAP.
"I hope he can build on that performance and keep building into our first finals series in (four) years. I am looking forward to it.
"You can hit him with the footy at any time and he will either get the ball away or prove so hard to handle one-on-one.
"He is a big man, a strong runner of the footy and has super hands not many players in the game have. He's a danger any time he touches the ball and I love having him back."
Lock Cameron Murray said Mitchell had been diligent off the field in his quest to get back for finals
"It was just good to see him back out there and see all his hard work pay off," Murray said.
"The effort that we have all been putting in every week has been motivation for him to get back as soon as he can. He has been stinging to get back out there."
