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Sydney Morning Herald
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Vote 1 Latrell: How Mitchell turned the PM into a fanboy
Bennett has rightly scoffed when questions of Mitchell's NSW Origin place have been put to him of late, though he did note on Friday that 'you [reporters] ask a lot of funny questions'. Mitchell's relish for the big stage and ability to deliver on it should make him one of the first Blues Laurie Daley picks, even with Bradman Best being an outstanding incumbent at left centre in his own right. The bigger question is where Mitchell sits among the game's long and storied history of clutch performers. Because the Rabbitohs No.1 has developed a fair habit of winning matches when a single, defining play is needed most. 'No-one [else] would have the cojones to try that,' Immortal Andrew Johns - himself a master of the match-winner - said on The Sunday Footy Show of Mitchell's two-point field goal from the halfway line. 'We saw that pass to [Isaiah] Tass against the Chooks when he won [the game]. Once again, no-one would throw that ball. 'Any big moment - the pressure, the bigger moment, the bigger the stage - he stands up. He's just a superstar.' Mitchell's two-point field goal was followed by a stone-cold stroll back to his mark and preceded with two stunning try-saving tackles on Payne Haas and Deine Mariner in either half. There was a one-on-one strip where back-rower Brendan Piakura was ragdolled out of possession and a cheeky full-time try where he played dead before plunging over the line. High upon Mitchell's big stage/big play CV; his 40-metre extra-time field goal against Melbourne in 2019. The flick pass that set up James Tedesco's grand-final winning try six months later against the Raiders. The 2021 Origin opener in Townsville where he was Viv Richards with a Steeden, strutting, preening and manhandling hapless Queensland opponents all night. His return to the interstate arena last year for more of the same at the MCG. Then of course, there are Mitchell's two match-winners this season; sealing two of South Sydney's most famous wins when his teammates were either hobbling or already watching on injured from the stands. Only Penrith maestro Nathan Cleary compares to Mitchell among his contemporaries. Johns, Darren Lockyer, Wally Lewis, Brad Fittler, Johnathan Thurston, Laurie Daley and Cooper Cronk are the other immediate clutch masters who spring to mind. And as far as Mitchell's strike that had everyone bar Bennett in an immediate lather, it is again an immediate hall-of-famer. Benji Marshall and Chris Sandow have both kicked longer field goals - by all of one metre - in the past decade, but Andrew Willis's 48-metre winner to sink Norths in 1996 has been the immediate reference point for most. A relative unknown for the finals-bound Magpies, Willis's wonderful nudge was his first and last top-flight field goal and he only played a 13 more first-grade games afterwards. Loading The Daily Telegraph took the Wests playmaker back to Campbelltown the next day to see if he could reprise the same shot with just a smidgen of the pressure on him. Willis never got close, a marker of just how remarkable his first shot was. No such problems for Mitchell though - no matter how big the audience, or who's in it.
The Age
11-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Vote 1 Latrell: How Mitchell turned the PM into a fanboy
Bennett has rightly scoffed when questions of Mitchell's NSW Origin place have been put to him of late, though he did note on Friday that 'you [reporters] ask a lot of funny questions'. Mitchell's relish for the big stage and ability to deliver on it should make him one of the first Blues Laurie Daley picks, even with Bradman Best being an outstanding incumbent at left centre in his own right. The bigger question is where Mitchell sits among the game's long and storied history of clutch performers. Because the Rabbitohs No.1 has developed a fair habit of winning matches when a single, defining play is needed most. 'No-one [else] would have the cojones to try that,' Immortal Andrew Johns - himself a master of the match-winner - said on The Sunday Footy Show of Mitchell's two-point field goal from the halfway line. 'We saw that pass to [Isaiah] Tass against the Chooks when he won [the game]. Once again, no-one would throw that ball. 'Any big moment - the pressure, the bigger moment, the bigger the stage - he stands up. He's just a superstar.' Mitchell's two-point field goal was followed by a stone-cold stroll back to his mark and preceded with two stunning try-saving tackles on Payne Haas and Deine Mariner in either half. There was a one-on-one strip where back-rower Brendan Piakura was ragdolled out of possession and a cheeky full-time try where he played dead before plunging over the line. High upon Mitchell's big stage/big play CV; his 40-metre extra-time field goal against Melbourne in 2019. The flick pass that set up James Tedesco's grand-final winning try six months later against the Raiders. The 2021 Origin opener in Townsville where he was Viv Richards with a Steeden, strutting, preening and manhandling hapless Queensland opponents all night. His return to the interstate arena last year for more of the same at the MCG. Then of course, there are Mitchell's two match-winners this season; sealing two of South Sydney's most famous wins when his teammates were either hobbling or already watching on injured from the stands. Only Penrith maestro Nathan Cleary compares to Mitchell among his contemporaries. Johns, Darren Lockyer, Wally Lewis, Brad Fittler, Johnathan Thurston, Laurie Daley and Cooper Cronk are the other immediate clutch masters who spring to mind. And as far as Mitchell's strike that had everyone bar Bennett in an immediate lather, it is again an immediate hall-of-famer. Benji Marshall and Chris Sandow have both kicked longer field goals - by all of one metre - in the past decade, but Andrew Willis's 48-metre winner to sink Norths in 1996 has been the immediate reference point for most. A relative unknown for the finals-bound Magpies, Willis's wonderful nudge was his first and last top-flight field goal and he only played a 13 more first-grade games afterwards. Loading The Daily Telegraph took the Wests playmaker back to Campbelltown the next day to see if he could reprise the same shot with just a smidgen of the pressure on him. Willis never got close, a marker of just how remarkable his first shot was. No such problems for Mitchell though - no matter how big the audience, or who's in it.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Trent Robinson accused of 'dropping the ball' at Roosters after Tedesco warning
Broncos great Corey Parker has tipped the Roosters to miss out on the NRL's top-eight this season and reckons coach Trent Robinson has "dropped the ball" in regard to their succession planning. It comes after Chooks skipper James Tedesco warned that his side would need to sharpen up their defence in 2025 if they hope to compete for finals footy. The Roosters have lost more than 1200 games of first-grade experience following the departures of Jared Waerea-Hargraves, Luke Keary, Joey Manu, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Terrell May, Michael Jennings and Sitili Tupouniua. Veteran halfback Chad Townsend is the only major signing for Robinson's side, which many experts have described as a team in transition. The Tri Colours have a number of exciting prospects coming through the ranks such as former Wallaby Mark Nawaqanitawase and Robert Toia, who are tipped to start the season together in the centres. Sandon Smith is expected to line up in the halves alongside Townsend, while versatile forwards Siua Wong and Naufahu Whyte look to have bright futures. But Parker believes the loss of so much experience and their failure to replace those players, will leave the Roosters exposed this season and see them miss out on qualifying for the finals. Corey Parker on the Sydney Roosters:"I think they've dropped the ball in the succession plan for some of their stars. 1250 games of experience have left the Roosters team from last year.""Where they're at right now, I've got concerns." — SENQ Breakfast (@CozHealsSEN) February 20, 2025 "I put the Roosters out of the eight," Parker told SEN radio on Friday. "For a club that's been so successful and so big, I think they've dropped the ball - and I could be proven completely wrong - but I think they've dropped the ball in regards to their succession plan for some of their stars. "1257 games of experience has left the Roosters team from last year... and where they're at right now I have concerns based around the 1257 games." Parker pointed out that long-term ACL injuries to Sam Walker and Brandon Smith make the situation even worse for the Chooks, with the pair set to miss the first half of the season. He believes Robinson's side were "emotionally charged" in 2024 knowing that it was the final season for the club's record appearance-maker Waerea-Hargraves and fellow three-time premiership hero Keary. But Parker says without two of their most trusted generals, as well a host of other big-name departures, he's concerned the Roosters will go backwards in 2025, having made the preliminary final after finishing the regular season in third last year. The Broncos great hailed Robinson as one of the finest coaches in the game but suggested even he might struggle to deal with the situation at the Roosters. The Broncos great highlighted the middle part of the season as the most crucial period for the Roosters and questioned whether they had the depth to cover for the inevitable absence of players through injuries, suspensions and State of Origin footy. "That's where I'm concerned with the Roosters, through that mid part, through that grind, through the back-end of the season," he added. "I think not having Brandon Smith and Sam Walker available for the first part of the season and traditionally, the Roosters normally start slowish and finish with a wet sail. "They need to actually reverse those roles... if they have one or two injuries during that mid part or start to the season, I just find it very difficult for the Tri Colours and Robbo to progress and really challenge for that top eight... They're going to need a lot of things go right for them this season I believe." RELATED: Souths shut down Latrell and Murray theory amid legend's injury call Fresh calls for Latrell and Turbo switch after brutal new development Teammate hits back at ugly claims about Nicho Hynes amid horror news Parker's truth bomb comes after Tedesco singled out his side's defence a major area of concern heading into the new season. The Roosters had the best attack in the NRL last season but had a tendency to leak plenty of points and Tedesco said it was something they'd been working hard to fix after admitting their defence "wasn't up to standard" in 2024. "We scored a lot of points last year, I think we scored the most tries, but our defence wasn't up to standard," Tedesco told AAP. "That's how we win big games. The main focus for us has been the defence, getting that right, and then our attack can build off the back of it. "That structure doesn't need to change either. A couple of guys are learning the system a bit. But it is more (about) getting more steely on our line and not leaking as many points, and then letting our attack come good at the end of the year."
