Latrell Mitchell sends through injury scare through NSW Camp
Latrell Mitchell caused the first injury scare in the NSW Origin camp when his back flared up late in the game against the Dolphins.
In the second half, Mitchell appeared visibly in pain after several shots before Souths coaches took no chances and carried him off the field.
He did not require any treatment on the sidelines and coach Wayne Bennett was confident he would be fit for Origin I and NSW duty on May 28. The Blues named their first team on Monday morning.
“If Latrell is fit to play Origin I’m happy for him,” Bennett said.
“He’s fine, it’s not too bad. It’s no big deal. There’s a 12-day turnaround, so I think he’ll be fine.”
The explosive center missed last weekend’s win against Cronulla due to a disc in his back. The pain got so bad a week ago that he nearly broke down in tears at Newcastle’s half-time break.
Mitchell was cleared for the Dolphins matchup, but was relieved of goaltending duties to relieve the pressure on his back.
The 28-year-old will be one of the first players selected for NSW if his back remains intact.
South team teammate Cameron Murray will be sweating as he is cleared for a cannonball tackle at Kulikefu Finefeuiaki.
When asked about the fight, Murray said: “I’m not sure, we’ll have to wait and see.”
Asked if he would be upset if the challenge cost him a return to Origin, Murray said: “Of course I would be upset about that. I love playing in the blue jersey and I grab every chance I get with both hands. That would be disappointing.”
In the first match of the Magic Round, Canterbury captain Stephen Crichton scored a try but poor defensive performance led to Will Kennedy’s first try. He was also put on report for his tackle on Teig Wilton late in the game.
Dogs coach Cameron Ciraldo knows Crichton has never let the Blues down. “What I do know is that you can trust people who have been there and done that in the past. [Crichton’s] one of them,” Ciraldo said.
Back rower Jacob Preston scored a good try in the first half but struggled to be effective down the left edge.
For the Sharks, Addin Uzmana-Blake made 15 tough carries and recorded significant minutes while captaining Cronulla. The Tongan international could be the first beneficiary of the new State of Origin eligibility rules, especially as the Blues need a big man with the footwork to at least replace the injured Payne Haas in Origin I.
Blayke Brailey played 139 consecutive games but missed the Dogs encounter with a concussion, but the absence does not count against him, according to Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon.
“I didn’t think missing this week would have anything to do with the selection process; if you play 139 [games] “Honestly, you have a rough idea of whether he’s good enough or not,” Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon said of Brailey.
“I want them to play, I think it’s just a reward, we’ve been one of the more consistent teams over the years without individual awards.”
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Chris Barrett is senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Southeast Asia correspondent for the Herald and The Age newspapers.Connect with: X or email.
