South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett has cast fresh doubt over Latrell Mitchell's fitness, revealing he is uncertain when the injury-plagued superstar will be cleared to make his NRL comeback. Mitchell has not played since round 11 due to a back injury that also cost him a State of Origin berth, and he subsequently picked up a calf strain during training last month.
Bennett's Update on Mitchell's Return
Speaking on Saturday ahead of Souths' clash with Newcastle at Accor Stadium on Sunday, Bennett admitted the timeline for Mitchell's return remains unclear. "Latrell's the only really missing link at the moment in the backs," Bennett said. "Jack (Wighton) came back last week and was pretty good for us so hopefully we can settle down now and have a steady list of our good players on the paddock."
Bennett added that the return date keeps changing. "It (Mitchell's return date) keeps changing on me, I asked (the medical team) this morning and they didn't give me the news I wanted to hear so it's certainly going to be another couple of weeks."
Backline Changes and Team News
As he waits on Mitchell, Bennett has made a significant change to his backline by dropping Jye Gray to the bench and naming Matt Dufty to start at fullback against the Knights. Campbell Graham will mark his return from a calf strain against Newcastle, while Cody Walker will be back at five-eighth next week against Canberra after serving a one-game ban for kicking Penrith's Jack Cogger.
Bennett has lost five straight games against the Knights but is hopeful Souths (8-7) can secure a win for teammate Jai Arrow, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in May. Arrow's birthday is on Sunday, and the team aims to strengthen their top-eight hopes with a victory.
Emotional Support for Jai Arrow
"It's a pretty special day for Jai, but we've also got a team of blokes here that want to play well and do well and seal the day for him," Bennett said. "I can't speak highly enough of what people have done and we're going to make his future and the future of his family a lot more secure. With so much doubt in it going forward, he's never going to have to worry about where he's going to get his next dollar from."
The Rabbitohs are currently 8-7 and fighting for a top-eight spot as they prepare to face the Knights at Accor Stadium.
