Roosters excited by challenge of shutting down Latrell

Mutual respect but no courtesies will be extended.

That's the modus operandi for the Roosters as they face former teammate Latrell Mitchell, and the rest of his South Sydney team, on Friday night at ANZ Stadium.

"He terrorised me for three years at training so I expect nothing less come Friday night," Roosters utility Mitch Aubusson said on Monday.

Coach Trent Robinson said last weekend that he expected the 23-year-old Test and Origin star to play both fullback and left centre. Wherever he roams, Aubusson can't wait.

"I'm excited for the challenge because he's one of the best players in our game.

"I'm really proud of the guy he is – I had a lot to do with him here – but we've got a job to do Friday night," Aubusson said.

Co-captain Jake Friend spoke of how all the Roosters players would find it a little strange facing him in a different-coloured jersey – somewhat the same as the Storm players did in 2018 when Cooper Cronk went to the Roosters.

"I've been a few years with Latrell. He grew up at this club and was part of our couple of premierships," Friend said.

"It will be different having to run up against him but I'm sure he'll be looking to prove a point. It will be interesting to see how he goes against us."

Friend has watched some of the Rabbitohs' opening two rounds against the Sharks and Broncos.

"You can definitely tell that Latrell missed a bit of the pre-season. I feel like he's only going to continue to get better and I know coming up against us means we can't under-estimate him," Friend said.

Winger Brett Morris, who along with centre Joey Manu is expected to oppose Mitchell directly if he reverts back to left centre for some of the game, said all ears were being pricked for what Robinson will pull together.

"We'll watch a bit of video this week and come up with a plan for Latrell," Morris said.

"I'm sure he's just as excited to play against us – his old teammates. Obviously we know what kind of player he is in being such a damaging ball-runner.

"You give him space and time he can certainly hurt you. He's done that for plenty of years against different oppositions and I'm sure we'll be no different.

"We need to put a bit of pressure on him."

Of course one pressure valve was released with Josh Morris arriving at Roosters headquarters on Monday after being released early by the Sharks to join his identical twin.

"The older, uglier brother is here now," is how Brett Morris described the occasion, since he is no longer the elder statesman at the Roosters. Josh was born 10 minutes earlier back in August 1986.

But Brett said he had made no request with coach Trent Robinson to link on the left edge with Josh as the pair did at the Bulldogs. Brett played left centre himself against the Sea Eagles last weekend.

"Not at all. I had a good connection with Joey (Manu) the back end of last year and Tupes (Daniel Tupou) has been on that left side for a while now and he's rock solid.

"For the team dynamic it's probably best for me to go back to the right side.

"Josh will slot right in there in the centres on the left side. It's a position we've had a few different people play there already this year but we've got a really experienced guy in Josh there now."

This is now the third NRL club the brothers have played first grade together following the Dragons and Bulldogs.

"Our careers aren't finished yet – we might go down the coast and play for the Kiama Knights.

"But we’ve come full circle, we're back together so it's exciting for us both. At the end of our time at the Dogs, when we parted ways, we didn't think this was going to happen."

Brett said his brother's football intelligence meant he would not have trouble slipping out of the Sharks systems and into the Roosters.

"Josh being Josh is a very smart footballer. He understands defences, attacks, and the way certain teams play. Playing against the Roosters he's checked out us already.

"He's a very quick learner. He's been in rep sides where you've only got a week to prepare so it's not unusual for him."

But there was no brotherly "welcome" hug this morning due to the two-metre social distancing rules.

"We fist bumped," Brett said.

"He was like a school kid on his first day. He was very nervous, very sheepish, walking in. "