Latrell Mitchell post causes stir as rumour swirls around NSW gun
Latrell Mitchell has taken to Instagram after a Queensland legend poured fuel on a burning rumour about his NSW snub.
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Latrell Mitchell insists he “bleeds blue” after he was snubbed by new coach Michael Maguire as the NSW team was announced on Sunday.
Maguire overlooked Mitchell for his 20-man squad despite a wave of injuries in the centres just days after the Rabbitohs star publicly said he was available for selection.
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It came after rumours the gun fullback met with Maguire in secret recently with their conversation reportedly leaving Maguire with an impression that Mitchell was not “overly obsessed” with playing for NSW.
Maguire on Monday stated repeatedly in media interviews that he wanted “hungry” players.
Rumours have swirled since the Blues team was announced with Queensland legend Cooper Cronk among those to publicly discuss Mitchell’s headspace and motivations.
The story about Mitchell’s meeting with Maguire was first reported by leading journalist Phil Rothfield from The Daily Telegraph.
Mitchell on Monday night stressed he had told Maguire he was 100 per cent committed if picked.
“Just to clarify,” he wrote.
“BUZZ ROTHFIELD at it again telling yarns.
“I’m always committed to playing for NSW.
“FACTS: I specifically said to Madge via phone call if I’m playing well enough for me to be in your side then I’m in 100%. I bleed blue, l love the rivalry and the Origin arena.
“All I can do now is focus on South’s and winning more games.
“Good luck to the boys in blue I’ll be cheering NSW all the way.”
Mitchell was one of the biggest notable omissions from the Blues squad with Maguire selecting incumbent Stephen Crichton and Roosters star Joseph Suaalii as the centre pairing for Game I.
Suaalii, who is set to leave the NRL for rugby union at season’s end, is part of a new-look backline which features fellow Blues debutants Dylan Edwards (fullback) and Zac Lomax (wing).
Mitchell, who has played in the centres when he represents the Blues, hasn’t appeared in a State of Origin game since 2021.
Rothfield said part of the reason for his omission was because of the conversation he shared with Maguire.
“Also with Latrell, I had mail last week that he might have had a meeting with Madge and Madge walked away from that meeting with an opinion that he (Latrell) wasn’t overly obsessed about wearing the Blues jersey,” Rothfield said on Sky Sports Radio.
“He (Mitchell) was dreadfully concerned about the trainwreck season that is South Sydney and I think after they spoke, Madge was of the opinion he wants guys who aren’t concerned about club footy and want to do their best for the state.
“You’ve got to give Latrell and Jack Wighton some credit in that areas because they both could have been picked in this side.”
Maguire did his best to sidestep questions about Mitchell when asked on Fox League’s NRL 360.
When asked by Queensland icon Gordern Tallis about Mitchell, Maguire said: “Yeah, Gordie, the one thing I’ve gone about is picking a team that I feel in my opinion is performing really well at this moment in time.
“I’m really confident with the guys I’ve selected, albeit, whatever happens down the track...
“But this group that I’ve picked right now, I’ve spent a lot of time talking to players and understanding those players and that’s the reason I’ve picked this group. I’ve got a lot of belief in those players in what we’re going to be able to build this week and I can’t wait to see this group working together and working hard because every single player is at their best or at the top of their game and we’re going to be able to build a good strength amongst us.”
He earlier said: “If you look at the team we’ve got some decent attack across the park.
“I just want hungry players across the park. There’s something there that I see that we’re trying to build in the Blues jersey — a real hungry, mobile team and there’s something there that I’d like to think reflects in the selection of players.”
Cronk, widely regarded to have one of the best tactical minds in rugby league, said Mitchell had to be in the right headspace to be picked.
“I get why he’s not (in the team),” Cronk said on Fox League.
“You can’t go down that path of picking (Dylan) Edwards and (Cameron) McInnes and then picking Latrell because that goes away from the way you’re setting up your team.
“But when Latrell puts it together there’s hardly anyone that can stop him. But Latrell needs to be in the right headspace for him to play in the big moments and obviously Madge has had a conversation to think that he’s not.”
Despite this, Cronk eluded to the fact the NSW team will miss Mitchell’s ability to produce something from nothing.
“The one thing that NSW will need – because if it is tight, if it is close, if there is fatigue – who is going to be the game breaker,” he said.
“It’s going to have to be them (Jarome Luai and Nicho Hynes) because the rest of those guys, Luai has done tremendously the last two weeks without Cleary and I like Hynes’ body of work, but I don’t think they’ve ever dominated Origin.
“Whereas I think Reece Walsh, Hammer (Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow), there’s a few more X factors there.”
Originally published as Latrell Mitchell post causes stir as rumour swirls around NSW gun
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