Debate has erupted amongst NRL pundits after South Sydney were reportedly left frustrated on Thursday that Latrell Mitchell’s withdrawal from Saturday’s game against Cronulla was made public before they wanted it to be. Mitchell is out with a back injury and is also in doubt for Round 11 against the Dolphins.
The injury came to light on Thursday afternoon when Mitchell’s name disappeared from the team list on NRL.com and was replaced by Latrell Siegwalt. Souths had to apply to the NRL to allow Siegwalt to play because he wasn’t initially named in the 22-player squad on Tuesday.
Wayne Bennett and the Rabbitohs are reportedly unhappy that Latrell Mitchell’s injury was made public straight away. Image: Getty
For that reason, the NRL updated the team on their website and took Mitchell out. But the Rabbitohs were reportedly left fuming because they didn’t want the change to be made public until the very last minute.
Souths were only planning on updating the team list 90 minutes before the game, which is the latest possible time that changes can be made. It’s a common tactic and allows teams to avoid giving their opposition an advantage by knowing exactly who they’ll be facing.
Considering Mitchell has arguably been the best player in the NRL this year, Cronulla would have done a lot of preparation around how to stop him. But knowing he’s not playing 48 hours out from the game gives the Sharks enough time to adjust their game-plan.
Latrell Mitchell has been in sublime form in 2026.
(Jeremy Ng via Getty Images)Debate erupts over ‘misleading’ move
Discussing the situation on SEN radio on Friday, leading commentator Jimmy Smith labelled it “misleading” from Souths and other teams that intentionally withhold information. “So it’s OK to mislead the public with a player like Latrell Mitchell for 48 hours?” Smith asked.
“And it’s only been caught out because they had to apply to bring a player in. Think about that as a consumer or a fan or a betting organisation. That’s not right.”
But Michael Carayannis said it’s simply part of the game and a “tactical” move within the rules. “I don’t have an issue with teams keeping team selection to themselves until 90 minutes before kick-off,” he said. “I don’t think teams have an obligation to satisfy the punters.”
Smith pointed out that with gambling and betting such a huge part of sport in the modern landscape, fans and the betting agencies themselves deserve more transparency. And if the NRL is happy to take huge sums of money by partnering with the betting agencies, they should be cracking down.
One option would be to employ the system they use in the Super League where teams only announce a squad during the week and then confirm the playing 19 (or 17) on game-day. In the NRL the clubs are required to announce their team in positions every Tuesday, which often leads to changes anyway because they often don’t get clarity on injuries later in the week.