NRL 2022: Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell free to play in Charity Shield
Rabbitohs superstar Latrell Mitchell has the green light to play in the Charity Shield, despite being ineligible for the opening two rounds of the NRL season.
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Latrell Mitchell is free to play his first game in six months for South Sydney in the traditional Charity Shield.
The NRL superstar will make his comeback in the annual pre-season clash against St George Illawarra in Mudgee on February 26, despite being ineligible for rounds one and two of the 2022 NRL season due to a suspension from last year.
Under NRL rules, only players guilty of a grade three offence and higher are ineligible to play in trial matches until their suspension is complete.
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Mitchell was charged with a grade two reckless high tackle charge for his heavy shot on Roosters ace Joseph Manu in round 24 of last season.
The Rabbitohs fullback’s season was brought to a shuddering halt with a six-game ban after Manu suffered a fractured cheekbone from the collision.
In accepting the charge, Mitchell missed four of the Rabbitohs’ remaining matches of the 2022 season, including South Sydney’s grand final defeat to Penrith.
He must serve the final two matches of suspension in round one and two of the new NRL season. The NRL has no issue with the NSW State of Origin star playing in the Charity Shield at Mudgee’s Glen Willow Oval.
However, Mitchell — like all suspended players — isn’t permitted to play in representative matches, including the NRL Indigenous and Maori All Stars.
The South Sydney coaching staff have been impressed by the 24-year-old throughout their pre-season training block, displaying a clear desire and motivation to continue his maturation as a footballer.
Mitchell’s on-going development as a leader within the Rabbitohs’ squad will prove crucial in 2022 following the departure of senior figures Adam Reynolds, Dane Gagai and Benji Marshall.
Mitchell hasn’t played since August and his return for the pre-season fixture against Saints is a similar path he took ahead of last season.
Rabbitohs fans will recall Mitchell was devastating during a 40-minute stint in last year’s Charity Shield. He set up three tries and scored one himself to put St George Illawarra to the sword by halftime.
Mitchell’s inclusion in the Charity Shield is based on providing the NSW Origin star with vital match-conditioning ahead of his much-anticipated NRL competition return in round three against arch-rivals, the Roosters.
The March 25 clash at Accor Stadium will have no shortage of storylines to aid the promotion of the clash, with Mitchell facing his former club and also Manu, for the first time since their drama-charged collision.
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Originally published as NRL 2022: Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell free to play in Charity Shield
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