Just when New South Wales looked set to welcome back one of their biggest game-breakers, fresh injury concerns surrounding Latrell Mitchell have thrown the Blues’ Origin III planning into uncertainty.
Mitchell left South Sydney training early on Monday, sparking immediate fears over his availability for both the Rabbitohs and a potential State of Origin recall. The South Sydney superstar had been targeting Thursday night’s clash against Parramatta as his return from the back injury that ruled him out of the opening two games of the series.
The timing could hardly be worse for NSW.
Following their disappointing Game II defeat, calls for Mitchell’s immediate return to the Blues side have grown louder by the day. Few voices have been stronger than Matty Johns and Andrew Johns, who believe NSW desperately needs more experience, presence and attacking spark ahead of the Suncorp Stadium decider.
- DON’T MISS OUR NRL TIPS – Click Here To Download Our App On iPhone
- WIN CASH IN OUR NRL COMPS – Click Here To Download Our App On Android
Speaking after the Blues’ heavy loss, Matty Johns urged selectors to move away from form and focus on proven Origin performers.
“To beat Queensland in Queensland in a decider, don’t pick on form,” Johns said.
“What you do is blokes who are great big game players who’ve got presence.”
Johns specifically named Mitchell among the players NSW must bring back into the side if fit.
“This bloke (Mitchell), Tom Trbojevic, Stephen Crichton, Liam Martin, Api Koroisau – they’re the guys who’ve got presence and don’t fear that big occasion.”
Andrew Johns has also been vocal about Mitchell’s importance to the Blues, describing the Rabbitohs superstar as a player who changes the entire energy of a team.
“You have to talk to Latrell, but he has the aura and when he walks into camp, they say the big dog is back,” Johns said.
“When Latrell gets the ball, all eyes are on him.”
“We know he has done it, the bigger the occasion the better he would go.”
Those comments carry extra weight given the struggles NSW experienced in Melbourne.
The Blues lacked attacking punch on the edges and appeared short of genuine strike power whenever Queensland wrestled momentum back in their favour. Mitchell’s ability to create something out of nothing has long made him one of the most feared players in representative football, and many believed he would have been among the first names picked for Game III if he returned successfully for South Sydney this week.
Instead, NSW selectors are once again anxiously monitoring his fitness.
The 28-year-old has already missed significant football this season due to a back complaint that first forced him to withdraw from Origin contention before Game I. While there is no confirmation that Monday’s training issue is related to that injury, the fact he was unable to complete the session will be enough to alarm Blues officials.
For coach Laurie Daley, the uncertainty couldn’t come at a worse time.
- DON’T MISS OUR NRL TIPS – Click Here To Download Our App On iPhone
- WIN CASH IN OUR NRL COMPS – Click Here To Download Our App On Android
The Blues are already facing pressure to make sweeping changes following Game II, with Mitchell, Tom Trbojevic, Cameron Murray and Liam Martin all viewed as potential inclusions if fit. Mitchell’s return was shaping as one of the easiest selection decisions available.
Now, NSW may have to wait and see.
If Mitchell is cleared and returns strongly against Parramatta, he remains a leading candidate to reclaim a centre position for the series decider. But if the latest setback proves more serious than first feared, the Blues could once again be forced to enter the biggest game of the year without one of their most influential players.
And after the way Game II unfolded, that’s the last thing NSW wanted to hear.
