{"id":388897,"date":"2024-04-28T22:47:09","date_gmt":"2024-04-28T22:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=388897"},"modified":"2024-04-29T00:04:33","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T00:04:33","slug":"gal-harsh-reality-behind-latrells-origin-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=388897","title":{"rendered":"Gal: Harsh 'reality' behind Latrell's Origin decision"},"content":{"rendered":"

NRL great<\/em><\/strong> PAUL GALLEN<\/em><\/strong><\/a> will appear on Nine's 100% FOOTY every Monday night of the NRL season, debating rugby league's hottest topics alongside Phil Gould and James Bracey. Tune in LIVE at 7.30pm (AEST) on<\/em><\/strong> 9Now<\/em><\/strong><\/a> tonight following a bumper round eight!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I have no idea if the reports are true that Latrell Mitchell<\/a> is considering withdrawing himself from State of Origin selection<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But in reality, I'm not sure he would actually make the New South Wales<\/a> team at the moment either way.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Drivers stunned as life-like doll falls onto race track<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> 'Menace' making it 'impossible' for Maguire to snub<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> 'B-grade competition': AFL icon's issue with Anzac games<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\ufeffWhen you look at the players available for selection, Michael Maguire is spoilt for choice in the backline.<\/p>\n

Tom Trbojevic is close to a certainty if he can stay fit, and then there's the likes of Joseph Suaalii, Stephen Crichton, Zac Lomax, Matt Burton, and Bradman Best\ufeff fighting it out for centre positions.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There's no doubt Latrell can be the best centre in the NRL when he's fit and firing\ufeff – he's proven that many times over a long period.<\/p>\n

But his form for South Sydney early this season – albeit at fullback – was down on his usual standards, and then he got suspended for three games.<\/p>\n

With a bye in the middle that's four weeks he is sitting on the sidelines.<\/p>\n

\ufeffHe can return against the Dragons in Magic Round but then will only get three possible games to prove to Maguire he is worth selecting anyway.<\/p>\n

Watch the 2024 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and<\/strong><\/em> 9Now<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I think the Rabbitohs will probably bring him back at centre against the Dragons, and that could help his Origin case somewhat.<\/p>\n

But he would have to have a massive three games in a row to push ahead of some of the other guys competing for Blues spots.<\/p>\n

I can understand Latrell's decision if he does opt out of Origin selection.<\/p>\n

He probably saw what Kalyn Ponga did last year for Newcastle.<\/p>\n

\"Latrell<\/p>\n

Ponga made himself unavailable for Queensland selection, and then led the Knights to a 10-game win streak to finish the season.<\/p>\n

He also won himself the Dally M Medal.<\/p>\n

I'd say Latrell has ambitions to do something similar if he does withdraw from the Blues.<\/p>\n

South Sydney is in dire straits and Latrell is a player who can drag the team out of it – and potentially save the coach's job.<\/p>\n

You can't blame him for wanting to repay the Rabbitohs.\ufeff<\/p>\n

OVER-REACTION TO MILNE ACT<\/h3>\n

\"Milne<\/p>\n

There was a lot of uproar over Taane Milne's bizarre cannonball tackle on Cameron Munster on Anzac Day.<\/p>\n

But I think the match review committee got it right with a two-game suspension.<\/p>\n

I personally don't think there was malicious intent in what he did, I think it was just a really dumb decision.<\/p>\n

With three seconds left on the clock and having already lost the game, there was no need for him to do that.<\/p>\n

I don't think the punishment was too harsh, and I don't agree with suggestions he should have been suspended for longer.<\/p>\n

I reckon two weeks is pretty much spot on for that.\ufeff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NRL great PAUL GALLEN will appear on Nine's 100% FOOTY every Monday night of the NRL season, debating rugby league's hottest topics alongside Phil Gould […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":299048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/388897"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=388897"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/388897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":388900,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/388897\/revisions\/388900"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/299048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=388897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=388897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=388897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}