The moment Mitchell proved he was destined for greatness

Brian To'o can pinpoint the exact moment he knew Latrell Mitchell was destined for greatness. 

It was a cold Saturday night at the SCG in August 2019 and the winger was just 14 games into his fledgling NRL career, when the Panthers travelled east to take on the Roosters. 

It was the 49th minute when Mitchell charged on to the ball and steamrolled the youngster on his way to the try line. 

The moment has been etched into To'o's mind ever since and he instantly knew Mitchell was destined for greatness.

"When I first debuted in 2019 we had a game against the Roosters and he was on the left edge with Daniel Tupou," To'o said. "He ran me over and that was my first impression. 

"I was like 'oh this guy's legit man' while I was watching him celebrate over me. So my first impression was he was always going to be good."

Mitchell was already considered one of the brightest young talents in the game when he ran over the top of To'o and he took his career to new heights a couple of months later when he set up the match-winning try in the 2019 grand final.

A move to South Sydney followed and he quickly became one of the most important figures at the club, on and off the field. 

While injuries have been a regular constraint, Mitchell has shown he is one of the best players in the world on his day.

The enigmatic talent is back in the Origin fold after producing a stunning one-game cameo to lift the Westpac NSW Blues to victory at the MCG last year. 

An injury forced Mitchell out of the decider, however new coach Laurie Daley had no hesitation in selecting the centre for next week's series opener.

The star has opted to let his performances do the talking so far this season and has maintained his public silence while in NSW camp.

Mitchell's Blues teammates, however, have declared he's ready to fire at Suncorp Stadium next week. 

"He looks good," fullback Dylan Edwards said. "He looks confident and he's buzzing around the joint. Latrell looks good. 

"We know what type of player he is and what he brings to this arena so we're looking forward to running out alongside him."

While Mitchell has developed into one of the most polarising players in the competition among fans, the outside back is routinely loved by his teammates at both club and representative level. 

To'o's first personal introduction to the centre came in 2021 when he made his NSW debut alongside the superstar. 

The duo combined on the left edge and each scored doubles in a 50-6 domination in the opening game of the series. 

It's a combination they will reprise at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night as they look to begin the Blues campaign with a win. 

To'o has formed a close bond with Mitchell over the past five years and said much of the social media criticism is unjustified. 

"He's got a great personality and he's a great person off the field," To'o said. "That shows up on the field and it's like 'that's Latrell'. That's what he does. He puts his team first, he puts his brothers before anyone, before himself. 

"That's the kind of player I like to play alongside and I'm really happy to be next to him for this game. 

"You always see stuff on social media but you don't know him until you actually meet the person."

Latrell's been silent all week, but on Wednesday night, the star centre is going to let his football do the talking.