Latrell Mitchell's play is over, and with it, the Rabbitohs' premiership hopes.
That's the telephone from NRL guru Phil Gould who says the NRL volition person nary different enactment but to suspend the fullback for a brutal changeable connected Joey Manu aft mounting down a fierce precedent against foul play this season.
It was the undoubted talking constituent of the Rabbitohs' 54-12 triumph implicit the Roosters arsenic Mitchell poleaxed Manu with a precocious changeable successful the 58th infinitesimal that near the Kiwi Test prima with a suspected fractured cheekbone.
Manu's look puffed-up immediately, and helium became truthful affectional helium walked implicit to Mitchell, remonstrating with his erstwhile teammate aft yet picking himself up disconnected the ground.
The deed sparked a bid of melees that carried implicit until the last whistle, but the harm had been done, and with it, a immense alteration successful the scenery of the upcoming post-season.
While Gould insisted determination was nary malice successful the challenge, helium saw it hard for Mitchell to wriggle his mode retired of thing little than the remainder of the play connected the sideline.
"Latrell Mitchell, determination volition beryllium a batch of radical astatine location calling for his head. But it's from radical who person ne'er played the crippled oregon been successful that presumption similar helium was defending his try-line there," Gould told Nine's Friday Night Footy post-show.
"He's got this wrong, he's made interaction with the caput and that's what it is. But we're surely going to perceive much astir it due to the fact that fixed what we've seen this season. The information that he's made interaction with the head, it won't substance wherefore oregon however it's happened, the information that Manu is truthful severely injured and he's got loading, I can't spot however helium won't beryllium spending clip connected the sideline.
"We're going to person 1 of the game's starring players miss the finals series. He's going to miss the finals series. They volition complaint him, they volition find him blameworthy and helium volition miss the finals series. It's tough, it's truly tough.
"I'm telling you helium won't play again this year. He won't play again this year."
The incidental has apt ended some the Rabbitohs' and the Roosters' last hopes with Manu looking a agelong changeable of returning, arsenic does Siua Taukeiaho who departed aboriginal with a genu injury.
"They've knocked 2 teams retired tonight, they've fundamentally knocked 2 teams retired of the competition, they've knocked their premiership chances retired tonight," Gould said.
Latrell clobbers Manu
"They've fundamentally handed the expansive last to the Storm and the Panthers tonight, they've handed the last to the different 2 sides"
Eighth Immortal Andrew Johns agreed.
"Souths, without him, are nary accidental of winning the competition," He said.
"If he's not determination they can't triumph elemental arsenic that"
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However, Cronulla Sharks large Paul Gallen held immoderate anticipation for Mitchell's chances.
"I don't deliberation it was intentional, I deliberation it was careless," helium said.
"I deliberation helium was being highly assertive but astatine the extremity of the time that's what rugby league is, it's an assertive sport.
"You're not retired determination to marque friends. He's retired to inflict symptom connected his opposition, legally, of course."
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