Roosters rivalry helps Bunnies ignore dramas

The Rabbitohs have had more than a few dramas to deal with recently but when a game against the Roosters is coming up the focus narrows.

Rabbitohs captain Adam Reynolds, left, and Latrell Mitchell at Redfern Oval

Adam Reynolds’ duties as Rabbitohs captain: sledging the Roosters, introducing himself to someone called Troy Dargan, handling the Latrell Mitchell drama, handling the James Roberts drama, handling the Greg Inglis/salary cap drama, handling the Cody Walker drama, handling the Wayne Bennett/secret squirrel drama, handling homeschooling four kids, tossing the coin, deciding whether to bat or bowl, encouraging his forwards to keep carting it up the middle, organising his backs, kicking bombs, kicking grubbers, kicking penalties, kicking conversions, trying to win the comp … and talking about Latrell Mitchell.

The most onerous of these tasks is the latter. Previews of Rabbitohs’ matches invariably amount to this. How’s Latrell? Is Latrell happy? Is Latrell fit? Is Latrell at training or is Latrell in Taree? Has Latrell sneezed? How’d that go? What’s Latrell’s favourite colour? Never before has a two-game Rabbitoh attracted this much discussion. It’s what happens when you go from being the NRL’s best centre to 15th-best fullback.

But when the Rabbitohs are facing the Roosters, as happens on Friday night, when the classic local derby, established in 1908, is back on, even Mitchell is only part of the yarn. The classic local derby won’t be played anywhere local, of course, heading out to Parramatta’s Bankwest Stadium, but it’s still a perfect storm of sporting hatred between two puffed-up, antagonistic clubs — plus the most polarising player in the premiership, Mitchell, having switched from one to the other. You couldn’t make this stuff up. First things first for Reynolds though — taking the piss out of the Roosters.

Suggestion: Manly have traditionally been the most hated team in the comp. Silvertails, and so forth. But the Roosters may be lapping the Sea Eagles these days. “Hundred per cent,” Reynolds replies. Next suggestion: they’ll be suited to fan-less stadiums because their own have never turned up anyway. Says Reynolds: I’ve heard this joke getting around. It’s actually pretty funny. Um, it’s going to be different for everybody, but they might hold a slight advantage.”

South Sydney’s Latrell Mitchell is yet to convince at fullback

Mitchell. Roberts. Inglis. Cap. Walker. Bennett. Squirrel. Drama, drama, drama, drama, drama. All on Reynolds’ watch in his first season as skipper. “Obviously a few incidents and whatnot,” he says. “That’s out of my control. Wayne is excellent with that sort of stuff. He wears most of the brunt.

“We’ve been communicating regularly. You can’t do too much when you’re in lockdown. A lot of it has been by phone, just checking in and making sure players are OK. Touching base regularly and making sure everything’s all right. It’s been a pretty busy period of my life. I’ve got four kids, and they were off school, so, dramas at home — but it’s all good.”

Walker’s suspension has given 22-year-old Dargan, an ex-Australian Schoolboys star who’s followed Bennett from the Broncos, his first Rabbitohs jersey.

“He’s a cool, calm and collected sort of kid,” Reynolds says. “Doesn’t really talk too much. He’s a bit quiet. But once he gets on the field, he’s a different beast. He’s similar to Cody Walker.

“I’m excited for him to get his first jumper. Excited to get out there and get a game with him. His running game is his strength. He’s dangerous when he takes the line on. He’s got a good show-and-go. Good hands, as well. A left-footer. Nice kicking game. That will take a bit of pressure off me.”

On starting their partnership from scratch, Reynolds says: “I haven’t played a game with him. Haven’t spent any minutes on the field with him. We’ve spent plenty of time on the training paddock getting our combinations right. We had a great session today. We get along very easily, me and Duggs. We’re very similar. We’ve got similar styles of play. I complement his game and he complements mine. I’m sure nothing will bother us too much on the field.”

Reynolds and the official team sheet have confirmed Mitchell will wear the No 1 jersey for Friday night’s cock-a-doodle-doo clash. Jeff Kennett, sipping whisky and refusing to watch, does not know what he’s missing.

If Newcastle fullback Kalyn Ponga deserves his $1.1m a year with the Knights, Mitchell hasn’t been worth two bob for Souths in the opening couple of rounds. To the big questions. How’s Latrell? Good, thanks. Is Latrell happy? Apparently so. Is Latrell fit? Sort of. Is Latrell at training or Taree? Training. Has Latrell sneezed? How’d that go? Yes. Went well. Asked if Mitchell may bob up in the halves, Reynolds says: “That’s the first I’ve heard of it. Pretty sure he’ll be at fullback.”

Roberts has been omitted while continuing to deal with his mental health complications. Rabbitohs forward Thomas Burgess has lit the wick upfront by saying he will “take it personally” against Roosters giant Jared Warea-Hargreaves. Says Reynolds of the 112-year inner-city feud: “It’s never hard to get up for a game against the Roosters. It’s always a fiery clash. Things get pretty heated out there.

“We’ve got to make sure our focus is narrowed to the result. They’re our rivals. We share a border. The history of what’s gone on at the two clubs … everyone knows it. They’re heated games. Always heated. Always physical. I can’t speak on behalf of every other club — but there’s obviously reasons why everyone hates them.”