Returning to Cardinal and Myrtle # 1, he wanted to build his own looms for Alex Johnston, as Latrell Mitchell has to wait nervously and the Rabbitohs count the cost of their competitive 18:10 win over West Tigers.
Mitchell was reported for a high shot at Luke Garner when the Tigers fought a late fight and may have to respond to Josh Reynolds from the ball in the first few minutes with a swinging arm.
The South Sydney star struggled with Reynolds kicking a ball wildly and collecting teammate Campbell Graham in the head. Mitchell then ran inside and hit the Tigers on the chin with five eighths.
Souths will play Newcastle next Saturday night and is expected to be able to do without support Liam Knight after spraining an ankle while warming up.
Game highlights: Rabbitohs vs. West Tigers
Johnston has been told that there will be no room for him in his junior club in 2021 after he has been frequently touted as a full-back in the course of his career, but he is shaping up as an obvious substitute should Mitchell be wiped out.
Coach Wayne Bennett said he hadn’t noticed Mitchell’s first incident with Reynolds because he was concerned about Graham’s welfare, and is confident that Mitchell could escape the suspension because of his duel against Garner.
Bennett: The diagnosis isn’t as bad as Knight thought
“I didn’t pay much attention to what happened afterwards [Reynolds kicked at Graham] because I thought he was knocked out and I thought ‘this is the first 10 minutes of the game and we’re likely to lose a player to the head,’ “said Bennett.
“I thought [Reynolds’ kick] didn’t look good anyway. I don’t know how bad it is, but it didn’t look good.
“The second [Mitchell tackle] was certainly a head high, but it was not a grade 3 or a grade 4 or a high rating. I don’t think that will happen if he gets charged. “
Tiger’s counterpart Michael Maguire was subsequently diplomatic in the Mitchell-Reynolds drama, hoping that both would avoid the Match Review Committee’s sanction.
“In my opinion [Mitchell] I have it, I don’t want to comment, “said Maguire.
“At the end of the day, people wear it and they do it, I hope nothing happens and we go and play Footy again.
“In both cases it’s very quick and I don’t think there is too much in either.”
Bennett said Knight would be out “between one and four weeks” after standing on one foot less than 10 minutes before the kick-off.
The win currently puts the Rabbitohs in seventh place, although the results could cause them to slip out of the top 8 by the end of the weekend.
