‘It was very selfless’: Bennett praises Mitchell’s maturity; confirms return date

Wayne Bennett has praised Latrell Mitchell’s maturity after the star centre ruled himself out of the State of Origin opener due to a back injury – a decision that will give him the best possible chance to get back in contention for game two.

Mitchell made the tough call to place himself off-limits for NSW on Sunday afternoon, just hours before coach Laurie Daley and his coaching staff were due to finalise their 20-man squad.

Brisbane’s Kotoni Staggs and Canterbury captain Stephen Crichton will be the centre pairing in the series opener at Accor Stadium next Wednesday night.

Bennett said Mitchell’s injury was not a long-term concern, and that he was expected to return after the bye in round 14 against Manly. Mitchell will have 80 minutes to convince Daley he deserves an immediate recall.

As it stands, the injured trio of Mitchell, Brisbane prop Payne Haas (knee), and Panthers back-rower Liam Martin (knee) will all be available for Origin II in Melbourne on June 17.

“I’ve got no doubts Latrell was keen to play for NSW, but at the same time he realised he couldn’t do the job properly – if he can’t play his part properly, he doesn’t want to let anyone down,” Bennett said on Monday.

“He doesn’t want to let his club down, and he doesn’t want to let his state down.

“He’s been in great form. We’d all love to see him play, but the bottom line is he’s at the age and place in his life where he’s mature enough to say, ‘If I’m going to help my club and NSW, I need to get myself sorted out, and I’ve got an opportunity over the next couple of weeks to do that’. It was very selfless.

“He’s made a good decision. He won’t play this week, and with the bye, he’ll have three weeks before he has to play again, and that will clear it all up.”

Blues staff were open to giving Mitchell a modified training program in camp to ensure he was ready by kick-off.

NSW medicos confirmed on Monday none of the 20 players in camp were carrying any niggles, which is a rarity in rugby league at this time of season. Haas and winger Brian To’o managed injuries in the corresponding camp last year.

South Sydney captain Cam Murray, who ended up the only Rabbitohs player in the NSW team after Keaon Koloamatangi missed out and Campbell Graham was unavailable because of a calf strain, said the enforced rest would only benefit the Bunnies and the Blues.

“It would have been a hard decision to say no to a NSW jersey, but Latrell knew he wasn’t right, and he wanted to give some of the other in-form and healthy players an opportunity to perform at the highest level you can play,” Murray said.

“I’m proud of the way he’s handled it. He’s been among the top five players in the NRL to start the year. The level of intensity he plays at takes a toll on your body; now it’s a matter of playing the best he can while also maintaining a healthy body.”

Mitchell was below his high standards against the Dolphins, and started to wince in pain with the last few carries before he came from the field with less than ten minutes remaining.

Manly winger Hopoate facing ban for contact with referee

Manly winger Lehi Hopoate has been charged by the NRL match committee over a collision with referee Grant Atkins in his side’s win over Wests Tigers on Saturday.

The 21-year-old was in pursuit of a Jamal Fogarty bomb during the first half of the Sea Eagles’ 46-18 victory when he ran into the back of the whistle-blower.

The contact sent Atkins tumbling to the Suncorp Stadium turf.

Hopoate, who was put on report by the referee, was hit with a grade-two contrary conduct charge on Sunday and will be suspended for a game with an early guilty plea.

He stands to be banned for two matches if he contests the charge at the judiciary and loses.

Manly were on Sunday weighing up whether to push for a downgrade, believing the contact with Atkins to have been accidental.

There were eyebrows raised at the resurgent club at the grading, given that Brisbane hooker Cory Paix escaped a charge for a tackle in which Manly forward Siosiua Taukeiaho’s leg was broken a week earlier.

The Sea Eagles requested that the ARL Commission use its special powers to overturn that decision, but their bid was unsuccessful.

Hopoate also featured in another incident that came to the attention of the match review committee.

Tigers centre Patrick Herbert received a grade-two dangerous tackle charge for a head slam on the winger in the 46th minute.

He will be suspended for two games with an early guilty plea and three games if his case is thrown out at the judiciary.

It shapes as another setback for the depleted Tigers, who have been without a handful of their best players through injury and suspension and have let in 142 points in the past three weeks.

Herbert also copped a separate grade-one charge for a grapple tackle on Manly back-rower Ben Trbojevic, but faces an $1800 fine rather than time on the sideline for that tackle.

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