Former NRL player and SEN host Joel Caine has backed a halves pairing of Cody Walker and Jack Wighton for the South Sydney Rabbitohs and says suspended star Latrell Mitchell must play in the centres when he returns to the team.
While Dean Hawkins has been named to pair Walker in the halves for the clash against Penrith on Thursday night and Wighton to remain at centre, Mitchell still has one game of a three-game suspension left to serve.
But for the bottom-of-the-ladder Rabbitohs to find some type of form, Caine said Mitchell must change positions as he is “not a fullback”.
“When Latrell comes back, his job is on the precipice, if the halves aren’t Cody Walker, Jack Wighton and Latrell Mitchell in the centres, it just has to be that, it has to be that,” he said on SEN1170's The Run Home.
“You look at Nicho Hynes running around, I hate this left and right stuff that they all do right, you look at Nicho Hynes he’s going short sides both sides.
“I’d be saying Cody, he’s the incumbent state of origin man of the match, Cody you’re doing the Nicho Hynes stuff, Jack you’re being the Jack Wighton we know that very few players have won a Clive Churchill and a Dally M wearing that jumper (No.6) and you’re not wearing it.
“Jason Demetriou has got to put Cody Walker and Jack Wighton in the halves, and Latrell is not, and particularly after a break, he’s not a fullback.”
Caine said Mitchell would have more impact for South Sydney playing a “roaming” centre role.
“He has the most influence in attack, not on the game, in attack he does but defensively, he doesn’t have an influence on getting you yards off your own line, he doesn’t have an influence on saving tries, but with the ball on the other side of the 50 yes he does,” he said.
“He scored a try against the Broncos, which you’re allowed to do from centre to come in lurking, remember Tom Trjbojevic in that State of Origin… roaming centre Latrell, he’s not giving you the carries from the backfield.
“Give Cody the team… (he) would’ve also been a Clive Churchill medalist if not for an intercept from Stephen Crighton (in 2021).”