Why happy Latrell is ignoring contract rumours

"Who wouldn’t want Latrell."

Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson knows he's got a special talent in his roster. But he's refused to give oxygen to speculation over the star centre’s future beyond next season after a stunning individual performance ensured that rival clubs will be clamouring for his services if he comes on to the transfer market.

Mitchell turned in one of the best individual performances in recent memory as he scored three tries, laid on two for teammates, stopped another two by Wests Tigers and kicked seven goals to spearhead the Roosters to a 42-12 win at the SCG.

"Honestly, that is a really easy answer for any club, but I also know that we create an environment for him to thrive and support him well and he loves being here and in the area so that’s our focus," Robinson said.

The 21-year-old international insisted he wasn’t even thinking about his next contract and only wanted to focus on striving to get better for the Roosters.

He also addressed speculation linking him to South Sydney and put the rumours down to comparisons between him and Greg Inglis.

"I am contracted to 2020 and I am just happy to be here and play out my years and then when it comes to negotiating we will talk," Mitchell said. "Now I just want to keep playing footy and not have to worry about other rumours going around that people are making up.

"I see those things and I know they are not true. I honestly wasn't even thinking about Souths. I don't know where that has come from.

"There has been a lot of hype around GI retiring and it is credit to him. He has had a wonderful career and I think that people think that because I was the next up-and-comer I have got to follow his footsteps. He set a pathway as far as he could and now I would like the pathway to follow myself."

Robinson described Mitchell’s performance as magnificent but said he could also improve, along with the rest of the Roosters team.

"I don't know where it sits, all I know is that was a very, very good performance from Latrell but it is not a ceiling, is what I would say,” Robinson said.

"If it was the Rugby League Week 10 out of 10, it would be. I remember Peter Sterling getting a 10. I think that is a Latrell nine out of 10. He is not finished, he is 21, he is a hungry man. It's not up to us to put a ceiling on a guy like that.

"There is a lot of players in sport around the world who have done things for a long, long time and performed at a high level and people think that it is quite special in the consistency of high level performance and you create new norms.

"That's what he wants to do, that's what we want him to do. My job is to keep pushing him higher."