South Sydney are looking for authorized recommendation on the Latrell Mitchell saga as they renew a push for the celebrity fullback to serve his ban within the ultimate spherical of the NRL season.
Going through a one-match ban after he was pictured with a white powder, the NRL has informed Mitchell he’ll solely be capable to serve the suspension whereas match to play.
The Rabbitohs launched a push for Friday evening’s conflict with the Sydney Roosters to rely as such, submitting the recommendation of three docs that Mitchell was match.
The NRL went again to the membership on Wednesday requesting extra proof of Mitchell’s health, together with an impartial health check.
Mitchell didn’t practice alongside teammates on Thursday, whereas the Rabbitohs don’t imagine the 27-year-old ought to should bear one other health check on his foot.
If Mitchell can’t serve his ban this week, the problem will carry over to the opening spherical of subsequent season, Wayne Bennett’s first recreation again as coach of Souths.
“We’re taking authorized recommendation on the NRL’s request for additional data and the proposed health check,” South Sydney CEO Blake Solly mentioned.
The drama comes after the Rabbitohs submitted a letter to the NRL on Wednesday asking for Mitchell to have the ability to play on Friday evening if he can’t serve the ban.
That may require an exemption from the NRL, given he was not named within the Rabbitohs’ 22-man squad on Tuesday.
It’s understood it will be extraordinarily unlikely for an exemption to be granted.
Souths interim coach Ben Hornby had mentioned final month that Mitchell wouldn’t play once more this yr, citing his harm and the Rabbitohs place on the ladder.
However requested straight on Thursday if Mitchell could be match to play on Friday evening if an exemption was granted, Hornby responded: “Sure.
“It is out of our arms now. It is with the NRL and the membership, they usually’ll type it out.
“He would’ve been [fit to play], however like I mentioned a few weeks in the past, it was all the time going to be an extended shot with the method.
“It is within the NRL and the membership’s arms now so there’s not an excessive amount of extra [I can add].”
Mitchell has not performed since injuring his foot towards Penrith on July 4, leaving him in a moon boot for near a month.
In that point, South Sydney’s faint finals hopes had been extinguished, with the membership falling to fifteenth on the ladder.
Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has dominated out selecting Mitchell for Australia within the Pacific Championships, which means the fullback’s ban can’t be served there.
Mitchell was fined $20,000 by the NRL to associate with the ban, whereas South Sydney additionally fined him $100,000 with $80,000 of that suspended.
The Mitchell scenario has performed out amid strained relations between Souths and the NRL, headlined by Solly taking a shot at Andrew Abdo after the State of Origin sequence.
Abdo insisted this week the NRL was not pushing a loophole to have Mitchell’s ban served in the beginning of 2025, arguing this ban was completely different to others given the fullback was injured earlier than allegedly bringing the sport into disrepute.
AAP
