Brad Fitler has stopped guaranteeing a spot for Lateral Mitchell in his NSW Blues team, even if Cotoni Stags failed to recover in time.
Stags was forced off the field with a shoulder injury in the State of Origin opener, but Fitler revealed that the 23-year-old did not suffer any structural damage.
Mitchell Hall is one of the contenders to join Fitler’s team, but he has to face competition against time while recovering from a serious hamstring injury.
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When asked about the South Star’s possible return, Fitler advised that he would not be automatically selected despite his original pedigree.
“I think we’ll wait first and see what he does with South Sydney,” he told Nine’s. NRL Sunday Footy Show.
“He was obviously a South Sydney player until the State of Origin was introduced. I’ve talked to Jason (Rabbitos’ coach Jason Demetrius) before and their coach is with our staff so we’ve got a good look at what Lateral is and what he’s capable of.”
“I think everyone would like to see Latrell play at this next level. He’s a great player and he likes to play at that level.”
With Fitler’s own debut as a Blues coach in 2018, Mitchell has played seven games and tried six for NSW.
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