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Mal Meninga has effectively ruled out picking Latrell Mitchell for the end-of-year Pacific Championships, as South Sydney fight to avoid any NRL ban going into next season.
Mitchell has emerged from his moon boot and began rehabilitation on his foot, after returning to the Rabbitohs headquarters from personal leave.
With an NRL breach notice still hanging over his head and questions over when a one-match ban will be served, Mitchell has had positive scans on the state of his foot.
South Sydney had long held hope that Mitchell could return this season if they remained in finals contention, after he was hurt before State of Origin III.
But even if he is fit, Meninga indicated on Friday that Mitchell would not form part of his Australian squad for the end-of-season Pacific Championships against New Zealand and Tonga.
“At this stage we’re unsure where Latrell is. But I don’t think he has probably played enough games and in a good headspace to be in contention,” Meninga said.
Latrell Mitchell is tackled. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
“Tommy Turbo (Trbojevic) showed again last night how great of a player he is, he can play anywhere. I’m not quite sure where Bradman Best is.
“We’ve obviously got Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, he has played centres. Kotoni Staggs has had a great back-end of the year as well.
“We’ve got some quality players we can pick from.”
Meninga’s comments come as the Rabbitohs push hard for any ban given to Mitchell by the NRL integrity unit for the white-powder photo to be served this year.
While particulars of the sanction are yet to be published, AAP has been told the NRL is proposing a one-match ban for the fullback as well as a monetary fine.
There is also a push from head office for the ban to be served at the start of next year, given Mitchell’s injury.
But the Rabbitohs are adamant any suspension should be served immediately, allowing Mitchell to start next year under returning coach Wayne Bennett.
They are trying to use the controversial delayed ban dished out to fallen Panthers star Taylan May two years ago as a way of ensuring Mitchell does not get suspended for Round 1 in 2025.
ARL chair Peter V’landys copped plenty of criticism at the time for claiming the ban was delayed “for the fans”.
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“Why penalise the Penrith fans for an indiscretion the player did?”
There are also numerous examples of players serving bans for on-field indiscretions while injured, with Parramatta’s Kelma Tuilagi doing so this year.
South Sydney are also understood to have the support of the Rugby League Players Association, with the issue likely to drag into next week.
May ended up tearing his ACL the following pre-season and served his ban while he was sidelined through injury.
Interim Rabbitohs coach Ben Hornby wouldn’t be drawn into the debate on Friday, but said Mitchell had seemed in better spirits in the past week.
“The Latrell stuff will take care of itself, the club will take care of it, and we’ll go from there,” Hornby said ahead of Saturday’s clash with Newcastle.
“It has been tough (for him). He knows he put himself in that position as well. He is starting to come out of it, he’s been a lot better this week.”
Mitchell is also due to front South Sydney’s board in the next week over his behaviour, the white-powder image coming at the end of a drama-charged year.
Believed to have been taken while Mitchell was in Dubbo for a football clinic earlier this month, the image prompted the latest round of headlines centring around the game’s most recognisable player.
Mitchell raised eyebrows with a profane radio interview in March and missed three games for raising his elbow into Shaun Johnson’s face while coach Jason Demetriou’s job was on the line the next month.
Canterbury football boss and media pundit Phil Gould has been among Mitchell’s most vocal critics this week, questioning his professionalism and Souths’ management of their star man.
Mitchell has returned to South Sydney training to begin rehabilitation on his foot.
“The Latrell stuff will take care of itself, the club will take care of it, and we’ll go from there,” Hornby said ahead of Saturday’s clash with Newcastle.
“It has been tough (for him). He knows he put himself in that position as well. He is starting to come out of it, he’s been a lot better this week.
“He’s had his scan, that came back positive so he is out of the boot now.
“The conjecture is whether he can run or not. We’ve just got to go through the process. He’s got out of the boot, who knows how long it will take.
“He can get on the cardio equipment, but he hasn’t been able to train.”
Manly second-rower Corey Waddell has been slapped with a two-game suspension by the NRL match review committee, for his high hit on Tiger Solomon Alaimalo in the Sea Eagles’ shock loss on Thursday night.
Waddell was the third of three Manly players to be sin-binned on a controversial night at Leichhardt Oval, catching Alaimalo in the face with his wrist during a tackle attempt midway through the second half.
In confusing scenes, initial replays seemed to suggest Taniela Paseka was in greater trouble, having caught the Tiger high with his shoulder moments later, but despite lighter contact, Waddell’s indiscretion saw him sent to the sin-bin alone by referee Peter Gough.
The forward, who returned to the Sea Eagles this season after a three-year stint with Canterbury, had his shot deemed a grade two careless high tackle, triggering a two-game ban for his second offence, ruling Waddell out of Manly’s critical final two home-and-away matches against the Bulldogs and Sharks.
Paseka is facing a $1000 fine for his role in the tackle.
Waddell risks a three-match ban should he and the Sea Eagles choose to challenge the suspension at the judiciary.
Haumole Olakau’atu has escaped without a ban after he was sin-binned early in the second half of the Sea Eagles’ 34-26 loss at Leichhardt, for a shot on Tigers fullback Heath Mason.
While off the field, the Tigers ran in two crucial tries to go from 16-10 down to 22-16 up.
Replays of the hit appeared to suggest the contact had been shoulder on shoulder, but Gough deemed it worthy of a sin-bin.
The match review committee opted for a lower-end sanction on Friday, handing Olakau’atu a grade-one charge and $3000 fine with an early guilty plea.
The NSW State of Origin second-rower was one of three Manly players sin-binned in the loss, with Ethan Bullemor also marched for repeated offences.
Having led the Tigers 16-0, the Sea Eagles leaked 30 straight points to the Tigers in their 26-34 defeat, to leave their finals hopes precariously poised.
Five points clear of the ninth-placed Dolphins, they would need to lose both their remaining matches and have Wayne Bennett’s team upset the ladder-leading Storm on Saturday afternoon to miss out, but the shock loss on Thursday night has all but put paid to their top-four hopes, and left them fighting an uphill battle to secure a home elimination final.
Brad Arthur has agreed to an initial one-year contract to extend his stay as Leeds head coach.
The 50-year-old Australian, who took over at Headingley until the end of the current Super League season in July, will now remain in the role until at least the end of the 2025 campaign.
Arthur, who was head coach at 2022 NRL grand-finalists Parramatta for 10 seasons, told therhinos.co.uk: “I said I would only stay if I felt I could make a difference.
“It is a big decision to move to the other side of the world, especially for my family.
“I feel an initial one-year deal works well for all parties but I am sure we will continue to talk over the next 12 months and make the right decision for all of us about the future beyond that.”
Leeds sporting director Ian Blease said Arthur had already made “a big impact.”
“His commitment to our club has been unquestionable, heading straight here as soon as the original deal was agreed to get started and leaving his family back home.
“Naturally, agreeing to stay longer is a big decision for any family. We are pleased that Brad is here for 2025 and I am sure, as he has already proven, we will continue to plan for the future beyond that when the time is right.”
with AAP
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