You need to issue a disclaimer,otherwise you’ll be branded either a Souths hater,a Roosters lover or a racist.
New South Wales legend Andrew Johns floated Warriors forward Mitchell Barnett as a surprise Blues bolter for State of Origin.
The last time I checked,I was none of the above.
So when I write that NSW coachMichael Maguire should resist calls to name the South Sydney fullback at left centre for the opening State of Origin match against Queensland,understand it’s not a personal attack,it’s not a pile-on,but merely an opinion.
Mitchell doesn’t deserve a sky-blue jumper this year,nor can he be trusted to perform in it. Too many rocks,not enough diamonds.
Which is a great shame for both him and us,because when he’s in full flight,chest puffed out,swatting away defenders like they’re fruit flies,it’s something to behold.
Too many rocks,not enough diamonds this season for Latrell Mitchell to be picked for NSW for Origin I.Brook Mitchell
Maguire names his first Blues side on Sunday night and it can’t come quick enough given the players he’s had to put a red line through because of injury.
The mere thought of picking Mitchell,whose form has been indifferent at best,would have been scoffed at a few weeks ago.
But injuries toTom Trbojevic (hamstring),Bradman Best (hamstring) and nowKotoni Staggs (broken rib) on top of the long-term sternum injury toCampbell Graham means the pool of available centres has dried up.
The Bulldogs’Stephen Crichton is a certainty,but Maguire has only three options as the other centre:Cronulla’sJesse Ramien,the Roosters’Joseph Suaalii,and Mitchell.
Since taking on the job,. He wants the Blues to be a superstar team,not a team of superstars. He wants Origin players who will exhaust themselves for their state.
Like Queenslanders routinely do.
It’s why players like Cronulla utilityCameron McInnes will finally get the jumper they’ve longed deserved. McInnes is an Origin player – he’s got the teeth to prove it.
Mitchell seems indifferent to the idea of being an Origin player. In 2022,he made himself unavailable for the deciding game of the series after returning from a 12-week lay-off from a hamstring injury.
He told Souths last month for this year’s series because he wanted to focus on turning the season around.
Origin player:Cronulla warhorse Cameron McInnes.Getty
There is nothing wrong with any of this. He’s put his body and his club before his state. That is his choice. He hasn’t done anything wrong.
But they aren’t the actions of the type of all-in player Maguire wants,as per in this,his first series in charge.
The other problem with Mitchell is his streaky form. With apologies toForrest Gump,he’s like a box of chocolates:you never know what you’re gonna get.
In the opening game of the 2019 series,he looked so disinterested some in the coaches’ box wanted to hook him after just a few minutes. He was sin-binned midway through the second half and dropped for game two.
Latrell Mitchell was at his peak back in 2021.Getty
He later said it was because of his public remarks about not singing the national anthem. The truth is the Blues coaching staff – and some players – couldn’t afford another disinterested display in the must win-match in Perth. Trbojevic came in and NSW won the series.
In 2021,though,Mitchell was at his rampaging best,busting through tackle after tackle,streaking downfield with his tummy sticking out from his jumper as he scored try after try.
It really was a thing of beauty. People recall that series – and season – for Trbojevic’s form,but Mitchell was just as lethal.
Since then,he’s slowly been consumed by the interest in him,good and bad.
He has every right to defend himself against racism. It’s appalling that he should continually have to do it.
But this endless arm-wrestle with the media,particularly Fox Sports,must take up a lot of energy.
Working out what happened in withNRL 360 hostBraith Anasta last week at fancy Sydney noshery Chin Chin depends on who you speak to. (I’m thinking a long,long lunch at the restaurant to get to the bottom of the matter might be required.)
Regardless of what was said and how it was delivered,Mitchell should use Anasta as an example of how to roll with the media.
During his time at the Bulldogs,Roosters and Tigers,Anasta copped far more criticism from both the media and rival fans than Mitchell has thus far.
Social media might have been in its infancy during his career,but he had to endure years of being branded the game’s most overrated player inRugbyLeague Week player polls.
Whenever you write something critical of Anasta,you can expect a cranky phone call or message. We slugged it out just a fortnight ago over an item in this very space.
But the matter is forgotten straight away. If you bump into him at the pub,he’ll be the first to shout a beer. He did this numerous times as a player.
It’s an approach Latrell will hopefully consider because the game is better when he’s in it. So are NSW.
But not this year. The Blues went for the sugar hit in game one last year withTevita Pangai jnr and it failed spectacularly.
Why would Maguire risk something similar with Mitchell?
Arthur and Coleman had to go
Apart from abalone diver,mob boss and UberEats delivery cyclist,is there an occupation more hazardous than sports coach?
Quite eerily,news about and broke on Monday afternoon around the same time.
They both handled their exits with class – but they had to go. The Eels’ second half against the Storm showed they were no longer playing for the coach.
The same noise has been coming out of the Waratahs about Coleman for weeks. How ironic that former Wallabies coachMichael Cheika is in the frame for both jobs.
Rugby League Island rides again
Finally –finally! – someone has taken a commonsense approach to Papua New Guinea’s push to join the NRL:our good friendsKris Gale andStephen Ferris from the iconic podcastFire Up!
Their blueprint for an island compound off the coast of Port Moresby,featuring a player resort,enormous stadium and opposition compound with submarine access will ease security concerns for prospective players and coaches.
Vision splendid:How the PNG team’s base might look.Fire Up
But what to name it? The Forbidden City? Alcatraz?
“Or reboot it like Old King’s Cross with Pink Pussycat,the Bourbon and Beefsteak,” the boys suggest. “I’m sure that PNG will be up for all sorts of ideas.”
On a serious note,the big takeaway from Magic Round is PNG will be admitted to the NRL at some point – it might not be as the 18th team in 2028.
Hello Perth Drop Bears!
THE QUOTE
“You know you’re talking to the No.1 golfer in the world,right?” – A man jailed at the same time asScottie Scheffler had no clue he was behind bars with the champion golfer until a police officer told him. Scheffler was arrested for disobeying traffic orders while driving into Valhalla Golf Club for the second round of the US PGA Championship in what he calls a “big misunderstanding”.
THUMBS UP
Put a fork in me,I’m done:the NFL is considering playing a regular-season match in Australia. And even though I’m told it’s a long shot,and there will be an intense bidding war between the states,and that the NSW government has a habit of low-balling on these events,the thought of strolling up to Allianz Stadium to watch a four-hour game while inhaling chilli dogs is,well,pretty bloody exciting.
THUMBS DOWN
The social media conspiracy theory that Roosters players were on the Colombian bang-bang the day before their Magic Round match against Cronulla was defamatory and offensive. Just to clarify:for the players,not drug users.
It’s a big weekend for …Mitchell Starc,who started the Indian Premier League in worrying form but is justifying his $4.43 million contract for Kolkata Knight Riders at the business end of the tournament. The Knights meet either Rajasthan Royals or Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final at midnight on Monday.
It’s an even bigger weekend for … round-ball game geeks with Manchester United and Manchester City squaring off at midnight on Sunday in the FA Cup for the second year in a row with Celtic and Rangers meeting in the Scottish Cup at the same time. Exciting.
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