Mitchell out of Origin III as he struggles to overcome calf injury

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South Sydney superstar Latrell Mitchell is out of Origin III and will not return to the NRL until at least round 21.

Any hopes Brad Fittler and the Blues had of welcoming back their strike centre for the final Origin dead rubber are officially over, with Souths coach Jason Demetriou confirming on Saturday that Mitchell’s recovery from a calf injury has been slower than expected.

“He won’t be available for game three – his calf is not responding – and he won’t play until after the bye [in round 21],” Demetriou said.

“It’s taken longer than we thought. With the calf, they can sometimes scan better than they are. We had the same with Hame [Sele] earlier in the year, and we’ve had similar problems with Jacob Host –the scan says one thing, but the way they respond and are able to train is the opposite.

“We’re not in the position where we need to rush it at all. We need to make sure we get Latrell fit and firing for after that bye week.

“[By being conservative] it takes the pressure off him in terms of trying to get on the field here and for Origin, and just focus on his rehab.”

Latrell Mitchell is out of State of Origin III.Credit: Brook Mitchell

Demetriou confirmed Damien Cook and Cameron Murray would back-up and play against North Queensland on Sunday after featuring in NSW’s defeat at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.

Cook was moved to the centres when Tom Trbojevic’s night was ended after three minutes by a serious pec injury. Murray did not see any game time until the final half hour.

When asked about Cook and Murray’s performances – and how they were used by the Blues – Demetriou smiled and said: “I don’t know what to say. It’s done us a favour bringing Cam on with 30 minutes to go, that’s for sure.

“I’m not too sure how a player of his level sits on the bench for 50 minutes. It’s up to the coaches. It’s never easy. You get it right, you don’t get the plaudits. You get it wrong, you get hammered. It’s the unfortunate part of being the head coach.

Damien Cook filled in in the centres for NSW.Credit: NRL Photos

“I’m sure Freddy will wear that. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

“With Cooky, I can understand it. It’s not what I would do, but I can understand the thought process behind it. I still thought they could have got Cam on earlier.”

Demetriou said Cook had already asked for a pay rise now he had shown his versatility playing another position.

“I’ve been here five years and at least every two months Cooky has asked for a pay rise,” Demetriou said. “He’s played in the centres and reckons they get more money. He went into the back seven meeting instead of the forwards. That was the first problem this morning.”

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