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Reynolds insists no intent in Latrell hit

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30th August, 2021
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South Sydney captain Adam Reynolds mostly dodged questions about Latrell Mitchell on Monday but afforded the star fullback a concise public defence by insisting no NRL player intentionally hurts another.

Amid a maelstrom of controversy, Mitchell will miss the rest of the season for last Friday night’s reckless tackle on Sydney Roosters centre Joey Manu who has undergone facial reconstructive surgery as a result of the hit gone wrong.

Mitchell’s six-week suspension has now put Souths’ premiership hopes in jeopardy with one round to play before finals.

Mitchell has come under intense criticism in the days following the incident, with NSW Blues teammate James Tedesco calling for the fiery young star to find some balance in his game.

Some have even insisted the 24-year-old acted with deliberate force – a claim which Reynolds was eager to deny.

“No player goes out there to deliberately hurt someone, that’s basically all I’m going to say on the situation,” the Souths skipper said.

“We can’t control what’s happened now, we’ve got to move on and worry about what’s in front of us.

“It’s a good opportunity for some of the younger boys to get a game this weekend.”

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Mitchell has since reportedly reached out via text to apologise to Manu, with the pair close friends from their time as Roosters juniors over many years.

However, Souths have shut down around him, making minimal public comment in the fall out of the grudge match which finished 54-12 in their favour.

Like Tedesco, Rabbitohs centre Campbell Graham said aggression is part of what makes Mitchell a special player.

“I don’t want to see Latrell change his game at all,” he said.

“I love what he brings on the field, I love his aggression and his intent on the field.

“Sometimes things go wrong on the footy field and that’s it.

“Sometimes you’re on the wrong end of it and it’s a shame, you don’t ever want to see anyone from opposition teams get hurt, that’s not what our game’s about.”

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Meanwhile, Reynolds confirmed he would miss Saturday’s clash with St George Illawarra to rest up a knee injury, while Blake Taafe is expected to be named as Mitchell’s replacement at fullback.

© AAP

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