Latrell Mitchell limped from the field late in the 32-10 win by the Dolphins over South Sydney to rock NSW on the cusp of State of Origin.
The strike Rabbitohs centre entered the Magic Round clash at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night after having a week off with a back injury. He started limping minutes before he was replaced in the 73rd minute.
The Blues will pick their side on Sunday night and Mitchell was a certainty to be picked if fit.
Coach Wayne Bennett wasn’t too concerned about Mitchell’s injury post-match.
‘He’s not too bad. I don’t think there’s anything serious there,’ Bennett aid.
‘I think he was just kind of cramping up a bit.
Latrell Mitchell battled through injury concerns before eventually leaving the field late during South Sydney’s disappointing Magic Round loss
Wayne Bennett insisted Latrell Mitchell’s injury was not serious after the Rabbitohs suffered another frustrating collapse
‘If Latrell is fit to play Origin, he will play. If he’s not fit, he won’t be playing.’
However the seven-time premiership-winning coach was left baffled by his side’s inconsistency after torching Cronulla the week before.
‘We’ve had three really good wins and next week we’ve turned up and played rubbish,’ he said.
‘It’s worse than frustrating. It just kind of gets to the embarrassing stage because there is no logic to why they’re doing it except what’s probably happening in their heads through the week, happy with themselves, I don’t know.
‘It’s an obvious trend right now, so we’ve got to get on top of it.’
To make matters worse, NSW certainty Cameron Murray was put on report for a dangerous tackle on Dolphins forward Kulikefu Finefeuiaki.
The Rabbitohs captain hasn’t played Origin since 2024 and doesn’t want to miss out this time.
‘I’d be sad about it, for sure,’ Murray said.
NSW and Queensland will officially unveil their State of Origin squads on Monday following the conclusion of Magic Round fixtures
‘I love playing in the NSW jersey, so it would be disappointing.’
The Dolphins entered the top eight for the first time this season on the back of their third win in a row.
It was the best performance by the Dolphins this season and one of the most mature in their history against a bumbling Rabbitohs outfit that made too many errors.
Dolphins hooker Max Plath, who also moved into a ball-playing lock role during the match, was brilliant throughout and appears set to make his Queensland debut in State of Origin.
‘Max builds his game on such a solid foundation of working hard and turning up on both sides of the ball,’ Dolphins co-captain Tom Gilbert said.
‘He is always in the game mentally and physically.’
It was a costly win for the Redcliffe-based side with five-eighth Kodi Nikorima failing to return in the second half after suffering a hamstring injury.
Nikorima and halfback Isaiya Katoa combined brilliantly in the opening stanza.
The Dolphins led 20-0 at halftime, the first occasion this season that they had kept an opponent scoreless in the opening half.
Centre Jack Bostock outplayed opposite number Mitchell.
The Dolphins absorbed plenty of Rabbitohs pressure early and hit back at the other end. The opening try was a testament to the passing skills of halves Nikorima and Katoa before centre Herbie Farnworth just had to put a flying Selwyn Cobbo away.
Plath’s show and go from 10m out fooled the Rabbitohs defenders and the pocket rocket put his foot down and surged over under the posts.
Katoa and Nikorima combined again and Farnworth was the beneficiary.
When Bostock crashed past Mitchell in the second half the Dolphins led 24-0.
The Rabbitohs rallied with Mitchell setting up Bayleigh Bentley-Hape and half Ashton Ward setting up Euan Aitken.
Dolphins superstar Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow iced the win with a late try.
