Newcastle Knights viewing rejuvenated Latrell Mitchell as one of many South Sydney threats they must contain

Mitchell has won six of seven games he has played against the Knights with South Sydney and his former club Sydney Roosters.

The only time the Knights have got the wood over the star outside back, a Taree product they overlooked as a junior, was when Kalyn Ponga and Mitchell Pearce led Newcastle to a 38-12 win over the Roosters in 2019.

"He's probably not one of those guys who you can completely stop, you just need to minimise his impact," Knights halfback Adam Clune said.

"We've got to respect how good of a player he is, but not solely focus on him.

"You focus too much on Latrell and you've got blokes like Cody Walker, Alex Johnston and a lot of other players who can really hurt you.

"We've got to respect their whole team, they've got strike right across the park."

The Knights might take some solace out of the fact Mitchell has never really had a blinder against them.

The 25-year-old has only scored two tries in his seven games against the Knights.

However after the fullback's performance in South Sydney's 30-12 win over Parramatta last week, his first game back since suffering a hamstring injury in round five, his try-scoring record is likely to be of little comfort to coach Adam O'Brien given Mitchell will also captain his side for the first time tonight.

"Any side that has got Latrell and Cody in their team, they're a very dangerous footy side," O'Brien said.

"We need to be really good defensively against them.

"They run shape really well and it's important that we start well."

Coming off a 38-12 win over the Gold Coast last Friday, the Knights return to McDonald Jones Stadium tonight hoping to secure back-to-back wins for only the second time this season.

O'Brien said the side's best result of the year last week had boosted morale, as had the inclusion of hooker Jayden Brailey and centre Bradman Best for tonight's 7.55pm match.

"We want to springboard off that," O'Brien said of Friday's victory, the side's fifth this season.

"Having Bradman and 'Brailz' back, there is certainly a good feeling around training."

Best returns following a dislocated elbow against the Broncos in May. Brailey plays his first game since September after rupturing an Achilles in the preseason.

He has been named to come off the bench and will share the dummy-half role with Chris Randall.

"I anticipate probably 30-odd minutes," O'Brien said of Brailey's game time.

"We'll see how the game pans out but he has done a lot of solid training, especially over the past five or six weeks. The staff have done a really detailed, thorough job.

"I'll ease him in, I won't throw him straight in the deep end with an 80-minute performance.

"We're fortunate Randy is in good shape as well."

The Knights have won only two of their past 13 encounters with the Rabbitohs and haven't beaten them in Newcastle since 2011.

Their best chance could come tonight given Souths are missing Origin players Cameron Murray, Damien Cook and Jai Arrow, along with injured duo Campbell Graham and Hame Sele.

"It looks to be a dry day so hopefully we can get a really solid crowd," O'Brien said.

"Hopefully we can go out and put in an entertaining performance, but [also] one we can be proud of."

Either Pasami Saulo or Lachlan Fitzgibbon will likely replace Jacob Saifiti, who has returned to the NSW camp.

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