Latrell Mitchell has been ruled out of the Kangaroos squad for the upcoming Ashes series with England after being sidelined with a neck/back injury in what is a huge blow for the national team.
The news was revealed on the Off the Record podcast that the South Sydney fullback has been managing a nerve issue and will be unable to take part in contact training for at least the next month.
Mitchell has been sidelined with that injury since Round 23, having managed only 11 games for South Sydney in another injury riddled season.
It is a major setback for coach Kevin Walters, who was relying on Mitchell’s experience and big-game presence to bolster the Australian backline.
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The blow comes with the Kangaroos already light on specialist centre options, with Val Holmes (injured), Robert Toia (Tonga), Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (injured) and Stephen Crichton (Samoa) unavailable for selection.
Walters must now turn to alternative options, with Tom Trbojevic, Kotoni Staggs, Bradman Best and Gehamat Shibasaki among those being considered but even two of those four have injury concerns.
The timing is far from ideal, with the three-Test Ashes series against England set to kick off at Wembley Stadium on October 25.
The Kangaroos are still expected to field a strong squad, but the withdrawal of Mitchell has thrown yet another challenge into their campaign.
It was expected coach Walters would name three centres in his 22-man squad, but with so many specialist options unavailable for selection, he may need to get creative in how he fills the number 3 and 4 jumpers for the Kangaroos this year.
There is no doubt the Kangaroos will be heavy favourites, but squad availability has quietly yet consistently eroded the talent on the roster in recent seasons.
The recent defection of Payne Haas to play for Samoa, along with several other former Kangaroos opting to represent other nations in recent years, highlights the challenges this year’s side will face.
It would be brave to back against a side like Australia, but they may very well enter the international calendar ripe for the taking if other nations are hungry enough.
With so many big name NRL players deciding to represent teams like Tonga, Samoa and England the last few years, the talent will certainly be there to beat the Aussies, in what shapes as one of the most competitive international calendars in years.