Updated ,first published
NSW Blues officials have been assured Latrell Mitchell will be fit for Origin I, with the South Sydney star expected to be given a modified training program to help cope with his back pain.
Mitchell sent a scare through Blues camp when he was forced from the field late in the game against the Dolphins on Friday night.
The powerhouse centre looked visibly in pain after a couple of carries in the second half before Souths trainers took no further risks and brought him off.
Coach Wayne Bennett was confident Mitchell would be fit for Origin I and NSW duty on May 28. The Blues name their first team on Monday morning.
“If Latrell is fit to play Origin, I’m happy for him,” Bennett said.
“He’s OK, he’s not too bad. It’s nothing major. There’s a 12-day turnaround, so I think he’ll be all right.”
Souths officials confirmed Mitchell was sore on Saturday morning but in good spirits, and there were no concerns about his Origin availability.
He is not expected to undergo any fresh scans for the back injury he suffered against Newcastle a couple of weeks ago. Bennett revealed Mitchell was almost in tears because of the pain at half-time against the Knights, even though he came out and charged over the top of several Newcastle defenders on more than one occasion that afternoon.
The Blues will have their own medical staff assess Mitchell once he enters camp on Monday.
There is no desire to name an extra centre in the 20-man squad as a precaution for Mitchell. The 20th player will be required to return to clubland next weekend and play if they have a game.
The worst-case scenario is Mitchell’s back flares up in the middle of the game against Queensland – although officials concede with the right treatment and training regime, Mitchell will be no greater injury risk than any other player.
Brisbane coach Michael Maguire, who watched Mitchell terrorise Queensland in game two of the 2024 series when he was in charge of the Blues, said the 28-year-old was a big-game player, but the Blues also had a fit and firing Kotoni Staggs available.
Staggs will miss Sunday’s clash against the Warriors because of suspension, but will be free to play for NSW. He is the form right centre in the game, while Mitchell has been the most devastating on the left.
“I think Kotoni has been excellent, and he’ll be ready to go, and to be honest, the rest [suspension] has helped him in some way because he’s been battling a bit of a foot injury as well,” Maguire said on Saturday.
“Latrell is obviously a big player, but someone like Kotoni, they can come up with special plays – they’re the sort of players in Origin who are special.”
Mitchell was given the all-clear for the Dolphins clash, but was relieved of goal-kicking duties to ease the pressure on his back.
The Blues received a boost with Cameron Murray cleared of a cannonball tackle that threatened to ruin his own NSW return.
Murray was placed on report for a shot on Dolphins forward Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, but the match review committee did not issue a charge.
In other Origin news, Canterbury captain Stephen Crichton scored a try, but came up with a poor defensive read against Cronulla, and like most of the Dogs squad, is down on form and confidence.
Backrower Jacob Preston ran a nice line for a try in the first half, but struggled to make much of an impact on the left edge.
For the Sharks, Addin Fonua-Blake had 15 tough carries and punched out big minutes while captaining Cronulla, while Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon was certain a concussion that robbed Blayke Brailey of one final Origin audition would not cruel his hopes.
“If you play 139 [games] straight, you have a rough idea if he’s good enough,” Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon said of Brailey.
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Chris Barrett is a senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former South-East Asia correspondent for the Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.
