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Star fullback Latrell Mitchell will return a week earlier than expected after the NRL relented to South Sydney’s demands that the All Stars game should count towards his suspension but he is still not happy with the judiciary process.
Mitchell was initially banned until round three when the Rabbitohs face his old team, the Roosters, but NRL judiciary chair Geoff Bellew has agreed to a request for the NSW representative to play in week two of the season against the Storm in Melbourne on March 17.
The NRL had originally declared Mitchell could not play in the All Stars game but stated it was not part of his suspension.
After playing for the Indigenous team in every All Stars match since 2017, Mitchell has been granted permission for that game to be included in his six-game ban for a high shot on Roosters centre Joey Manu late last season which ultimately rubbed him out of South Sydney’s grand final appearance against Penrith.
Mitchell was eligible to play in South Sydney’s two trials because his charge was only a grade-two offence but after sitting out their game against North Queensland in Mackay last weekend, he has not been named in the squad for this Saturday night’s Charity Shield against the Dragons in Mudgee.
“I’ll keep playing the way I do,” Mitchell told AAP on Tuesday when asked about his aggressive style.
“I don’t see why I have to. It’s the game of rugby league, I entertain. I sell tickets, so that’s what I aim to do. You can have 10 good things, and in a split second you can do one thing wrong. But that’s how the game is.”
Mitchell went even harder on Nine News.
“I don’t think I need to [change the way I play], I think the game needs to change,” Mitchell said.
Asked if the aggression has gone out of the NRL, Mitchell said, “I don’t know, we may as well play Oztag”.
“At the end of the day, it’s a game and we have to protect our players.
“There’s a split second you can’t control and that’s how it is. That’s rugby league.”
His plight has prompted calls for a review of the NRL judiciary system with the Rabbitohs club unhappy with the weighting of penalties.
Loading for previous indiscretions can add 50% to a ban for similar offences or 20% for other incidents from the previous two years.
Mitchell would have been able to play in the premiership decider if he did not have loading added to his ban.
“The process is a bit unfair, but I don’t really want to comment on that,” Mitchell said. “It’s just how the game is and I have got over it. We’ll leave it in the back pocket, it’s a bit of fuel. I don’t want to comment (more) on that, that is (for) the NRL.
“They have to take it on board and have accountability for what is going on. I have to keep playing the game and keep entertaining.”
Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou has named a near full-strength side for the clash with St George Illawarra with Lachlan Ilias to partner Cody Walker in the halves following captain Adam Reynolds’ off-season switch to Brisbane.
Jaxson Paulo, who played strongly against the Cowboys, has been named at centre alongside Campbell Graham while Blake Taaffe, as he did at the end of last season, is occupying Mitchell’s No.1 jersey.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys are the only other team which has announced their team for week two of the trials with coach Todd Payten switching Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback and Valentine Holmes to centre.
Chad Townsend is set to start the season in the halves with Tom Dearden to get the first half at five-eighth on Saturday against the Broncos and Scott Drinkwater to finish the match.
Jason Taumalolo will skip the trial to rest a minor hamstring problem before round one.
1 Blake Taaffe
2 Alex Johnston
3 Jaxson Paulo
4 Campbell Graham
5 Josh Mansour
6 Cody Walker
7 Lachlan Ilias
8 Junior Tatola
9 Damien Cook
10 Hame Sele
11 Keaon Koloamatangi
12 Jai Arrow
13 Mark Nicholls
Interchange
14 Dean Hawkins
15 Siliva Havili
16 Thomas Burgess
17 Jacob Host
18 Michael Chee Kam
19 Josiah Karapani
20 Richie Kennar
21 Davvy Moale
22 Romano Cook
23 Terrell Kalo Kalo
24 Taane Milne
Interchange
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