Latrell Mitchell news: Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga explains 'surprising' Pacific Championships absence

Liam O'Loughlin

Latrell Mitchell news: Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga explains 'surprising' Pacific Championships absence image

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has admitted he was 'a bit surprised' Latrell Mitchell took the field in this past weekend's Koori Knockout, despite the superstar fullback ruling himself out of selection for his country.

The 26-year-old is set to undergo surgery for a finger injury that plagued him towards the back-end of South Sydney's NRL campaign, meaning he would miss the upcoming Pacific Championships against Samoa and New Zealand.

But in a shock move over the long weekend, Latrell kitted up for the Newcastle Yowies in the annual competition, despite taking himself out of the equation to feature for Australia later this month.

Rabbitohs officials have revealed Latrell was granted permission to play in the Koori Knockout, given the fact he was at no risk of further injury and his surgery wasn't booked until after the tournament.

MORE: Walsh, Fifita among big names snubbed for Kangaroos selection

Mal Meninga 'surprised' by Latrell Mitchel decision

Speaking to the media following the announcement of Australia's 21-man squad, Meninga was quizzed on the absence of the Bunnies powerhouse and his recent injury woes throughout the 2023 season.

“South Sydney Rabbitohs said that he’s out because of injury, so we’ve just gone with that," he said.

"I was a bit surprised, but again I think the club gave him permission to do that. Knowing Latrell, he loves the Koori Knockout and he loves being involved and always wants to be part of it all.

"Obviously he’s got through that tournament well and now look forward to getting a good off-season and playing well next year. Off the back of a World Cup, it was a pretty torrid year from the NRL’s perspective.

"He got his first injury through State of Origin in the training camp, so he didn’t quite seem to get going after that. He’s had a bit of bad luck this year and I think the rest is gonna do him the world of good."

Latrell took to social media in a since-deleted Instagram story on Tuesday night to silence the noise surrounding his call to play in the Koori Knockout, which featured a host of the league's biggest Indigenous names.

(Instagram)

In the wake of Latrell's withdrawal from Australian contention, the likes of Kotoni Staggs and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow have been called into the squad, with the first game against Samoa scheduled for October 14th. 

Liam O'Loughlin

Liam O'Loughlin Photo

Liam has been with The Sporting News since 2019, helping lead both NRL and cricket content, as well as delving into the world of combat sports and NFL. A true rugby league tragic, he has spent the past 20 years playing, coaching and volunteering for his beloved junior club, Penshurst RSL. 

Away from work, Liam has a lifelong passion for all things pro wrestling and has travelled abroad to attend showcase events for WWE, AEW and NJPW.