NRL: 22 Things For 2022

It’s almost here. The 2022 NRL season is fast approaching and we’re starting to think about a few things ahead of Round 1.

It’s prediction season and Oscar has his top try scorer and Dally M Medal winner picked out already. Meanwhile, Jason has plenty of questions that need answering and a wishlist of plays and players he hopes to see this season.

Grab a cuppa and strap in for this one – it’s got something for everybody.

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1. Shaun Johnson (Jason Oliver)

Any long-term followers or readers knew this one was coming: SJ is back, baby!

The shock and excitement took over on the day it was announced. Out planting tree’s with students while working my second job in learning support, they could see something had happened when I looked at my phone. An early lunch was called for me to calm down but my phone didn’t stop buzzing for the rest of the day.

I’ll spare you the rant about how he should never have left. Instead, it’s all about the quality he will bring to the attack, the match-winning ability, the control he will take of the side and, of course, the scapegoat for when things go wrong.

I can guarantee two things: SJ is going to win the Warriors a few games on his own. He’s also going to be blamed for a few losses as though he was out there on his own.

Johnson’s departure to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks is being talked about as the reason he has been able to develop his game and rely less on his physical abilities and instincts with the ball. That idea, for the most part, is rubbish. He has talked for years about needing to develop his game away from stepping every second defender and goose-stepping the last. It’s the natural progression of a good, smart footballer and leaving the Warriors wasn’t the catalyst.

I hate to think how many more games the Warriors would have won – maybe even a finals game – had he been there the last three years (I’ll spare you that rant, too).

I still have a lot of concerns for the 2022 NRL season overall. Nathan Brown has done little to promote any confidence and, like every other club, possible disruptions outside of football have the potential to cause havoc. However, provided Johnson is on the field and healthy, every game is worth watching and one, if things break the right way, the Warriors can win. If Johnson can turn a couple of the close losses in 2021 into wins, this side can feature in finals football.

2. Up, Up, Cronulla (Oscar Pannifex)

I’ve spent the best part of three seasons being bullish on the Sharks and this is the year it pays real dividends. We here at RLW are big proponents of cohesion and combinations in footy teams but I’m prepared to waive that factor when it comes to Cronulla in 2022. 

The quality of their recruitment has been superb. Cameron McInnes and Dale Finucane immediately address Cronulla’s mobility and defensive issues through the middle third and they replace old heads from former glory like Paul Gallen and Luke Lewis in a pack stacked with talent. Toby Rudolf and Braeden Hamlin-Uele are developing nicely, Wade Graham is still criminally underrated and we haven’t seen half of what Blayke Brailey can do just yet. It’s a pack with a nice mix of size, skill, mobility and mongrel and I can’t wait to see what Craig Fitzgibbon does with their defence. 

In the backs Will Kennedy is fast becoming one of my favourite players, Connor Tracey consistently demands to be picked literally anywhere and Ronaldo Mulitalo & Sione Katoa form one of the best specialist wing pairings in the comp. There isn’t much depth but with some injury luck, this side is going to score some points in 2022. 

I’ve got the Sharks finishing anywhere from 3rd to 8th but if I’m being bold, a top-four berth isn’t out of the question this year. You can all but lock in Penrith, Melbourne and Sydney to jostle for the minor premiership but Cronulla will fancy themselves a chance in the race for fourth spot. 

3. Brandon Smith + Harry Grant = ? (JO)

Brandon Smith has confirmed his departure for 2023 but that is unlikely to have any impact on how Craig Bellamy constructs his side. Where other clubs and coaches might select their 17 with 2023 in mind thinking, “why would I play this guy so many minutes when he’s leaving next year anyway?”, Bellamy is only thinking about the next – and possibly his last – premiership. Playing Smith as much as possible whether it be at hooker or lock will give the Melbourne Storm a better chance at lifting the Provan-Summons Trophy this season.

Still, it will be interesting to see how Bellamy uses Smith and Harry Grant.

Will he continue to start Smith and have him make dents around the ruck, or will the set control and management Grant is capable of providing be more valuable? The Storm dominated the advantage line in 2021 and that allowed Smith to dominate himself running close to the ruck. However, with the pack a little bit skinnier in 2021, Grant and his speed may find more success assuming the Storm don’t generate quite the same go-forward this time around.

Regardless of how they line up, there’s every chance that the Storm once again play with the two best hookers in the NRL.

4. Selwyn Cobbo: 10+ games, 10 tries in 2022 (OP)

There’s usually enough media fanfare around our next-gen stars that we steer clear of it, but I want it known that I’m emphatically on board the Selwyn Cobbo hype train, too. 

From seven first grade games at centre or wing last year Cobbo managed two tries, a try assist, and an average 103 running metres to look every bit the part at NRL level. Most encouraging of all was how the 19-year-old handled the physicality of it all, and he’s now had a full preseason on top of that. 

The fashion in which Cobbo returned to the Queensland Cup following his NRL debut was frankly outrageous (check the highlights here) and if he plays more than 10 first-grade games this year on the right wing as expected, I’m backing him to score just as many by season’s end. 

Cobbo is capable of doing plenty more to finish actions like this, and it’ll only look better with Adam Reynolds at the helm. Reynolds can get the most out of a guy like Cobbo lurking on the paint and whether it’s through the air or the hands, I think we’ll see this pair celebrating a few four-pointers together in 2022. 

5. Broncos Halves (JO)

The Brisbane Broncos #6 jersey is going to go a long, long way to defining their season.

Albert Kelly, Tyson Gamble, Billy Walters, Te Maire Martin and Ezra Mam are all options to partner Adam Reynolds in the halves.

On one hand, the depth is great and gives Kevin Walters plenty of options.

On the other, Walters might have too many options.

It’s going to be very easy for Walters to chop and change the five-eighth if things aren’t going right. Developing cohesion in key playmaking positions is crucial to how a team attacks and having a different face in the #6 jersey every three weeks will play havoc with how the Broncos use the football.

It’s important Walters gets it right in Round 1.

Kelly is the experienced option but is unlikely to get through the full season physically.

Gamble is a solid option but has a limited ceiling. His lack of creativity doesn’t pair all that well with Reynolds on paper.

Walters hasn’t played a lot of football over the last 18 months and looks better suited to a utility option.

Martin has played even less football than Walters and seems better suited to reserve grade to start the season.

Mam is the same. He’s an excellent prospect and if he develops into the player I think he will become and looks ready for first-grade footy five or six rounds into the season, he is the ideal partner for Reynolds.

None of them jumps out as must-start options for Round 1, though.

The depth is a positive, but the Broncos will be playing their best if they don’t need to use it.

6. Luke Keary & Sam Walker (OP)

I’m going to keep this one short because I know we’ll spend enough time talking about these two during the season proper. 

The prospect of watching Luke Keary and Sam Walker on the field at the same time in 2022 almost makes me forget how much I hate the Roosters (Glory Glory, baby). We all marvelled at Walker’s brilliance last year when he was rushed into first grade and it was only a pair of battered 18-year-old shoulders and a fearless disregard for his own body that would slow him down. 

Walker is a prodigious talent and his development over the next few years will be a joy to watch, especially when you consider he’s got Keary to partner him in the halves moving forward. 

Keary is criminally underrated. The bloke has won three premierships at two different clubs and is a top three half when fit, for mine. He’s the best in the comp attacking down short sides and his game management and kicking improved out of sight playing with Cooper Cronk. 

The Roosters are going to win plenty of footy games with these two on the field and I’m still scratching my head at their Premiership odds for 2022…

7. Xavier Savage (JO)

This kid looks the goods.

I’m not sure where he fits into the side for this season but it’s safe to assume he will be involved somewhere at some point.

Ryan Papenhuyzen comes to mind when re-watching the play below.

I was just thinking about Xavier Savage. #RandomHighlight
pic.twitter.com/vfaCd3JCdw

— Jason Oliver (@JasonNRL) February 5, 2022

The 0-100 acceleration and ability to keep it up while changing direction is so valuable in a game desperate to fatigue middle defenders right now. His readiness in support here is encouraging, too.

I’d love to see Savage play 15+ games this year.

8. Aaron Schoupp (OP)

All the talk around the Bulldogs this year has been about their new recruits but I’m looking internally for this one. They’ve cleared a host of outside backs over the summer but Aaron Schoupp is one left standing and I’m backing him in for a breakout year in 2022. 

I wrote this about Schoupp in our Bulldogs 2021 Season Review last year:

“In nine games and with limited attacking opportunities, Schoupp managed 27 tackle busts, three tries and an average 129 running metres per game (as per Fox Sports Lab). That ranks him the second-best yardage centre in the competition above established first graders and noted ball runners Jesse Ramien, Joey Manu and Dane Gagai, all while playing in the worst attacking team in the comp.” – Bulldogs 2021 Season Review

The 20 year old Schoupp made a fist of his chances in first grade last year and there’s plenty of upside about him in 2022. The threat of Josh Addo-Carr waiting on his outside will force defending teams to stretch, allowing Schoupp more one-on-one situations with his opposing centre in attack. He’ll also have Matt Burton as Canterbury’s dominant half feeding him clean pill every week.

Schoupp’s already on my SuperCoach watchlist heading into Round 1.  

NB: We’re hearing Brent Naden has locked down that left centre spot leaving Schoupp to fight it out with Braidon Burns on the right edge. It means Schoupp won’t see as much action in attack but defensively he will be tested, given most teams favour a left-heavy offence. For SC, Naden goes straight on my SuperCoach watchlist while I’m a little cooler on Schoupp for now. As far as the NRL goes, I still think Schoupp profiles as a prospect and one to look out for in 2022. 

9. Isaiah Papali’i (JO)

Isaiah Papali’i shot out to an early lead for Buy of the Season and ended up cashing in with a big deal to join the Wests Tigers for the 2023 NRL season.

Tigers fans will be watching his form closely and checking in on where Brad Arthur plays the 23-year-old. He wasn’t quite as impactful when he was pushed into the middle more often towards the end of the year. Perhaps a role similar to Keaon Koloamatangi’s in 2021 can get the most out of Papali’i? Start on the edge but complete a shift in the middle when required, and perhaps even move over to the other side of the field to finish.

Papali’i played the full 80 minutes six times in 2021 – he’s capable. It will be interesting to see how Arthur uses him early and whether or not Papali’i can carry on in his superb form.

10. Dylan Brown (OP)

If you’re a Parramatta fan, there’s a slightly unsettling article circulating at the moment around off-contract five-eighth Dylan Brown. 

“It’s personal, like everything. You can’t rely on the team to make you feel whether you want to stay or not. When it gets to the time, I’ll sit down with my family and my manager and make the right decision.” – Dylan Brown, Sydney Morning Herald

It’s the kind of speculation we try to steer clear of at RLW, but reading between the lines there’s some on-field implications to take from all this. 

Brown certainly didn’t take this opportunity to declare his commitment to Parramatta in what is an off-contract year for the young half. It felt a little more like he was putting himself on the market.

At 21 years of age Brown’s best footy is still well ahead of him. He’s a superb talent who will attract interest from rival clubs in a contract year, regardless of form. If his form is good, however – well, just look at his current contract. 

Brown burst onto the scene in 2019 when he was 18 years old and immediately impressed with his powerful running game and elite defensive technique. Just fifteen first-grade showings was enough for Parramatta to sign Brown on a reported three-year, $2 million deal. A few years wiser and playing good footy in a genuine finals calibre team, Brown wouldn’t be blamed for believing he can improve on that figure.

I’m a big fan of Brown and I’m backing him in for a compelling 2022. He’ll always be a running half but two try assists from 21 games last season isn’t good enough for a playmaker and I’m keen to see how he has developed his passing game over the summer. If he can find some of that 2019-2020 form, Brown will be very hot property in a very sparse halves market by season’s end. 

11. Shark Attack (JO)

Watching shark attack movies became a bit of a common occurrence for me over the summer and the infatuation will continue into the NRL season.

There has been a lot of discussion over who will wear what jersey for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in 2022.

Will Kennedy is a lock for #1 while Blayke Brailey will be given the #9 jersey to start. Nicho Hynes will be in there somewhere with either Matt Moylan or Braydon Trindall to partner him.

I’m in the minority in wanting to see Moylan and Hynes in the halves for Round 1. Polls taken across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram all ended with a Trindall/Hynes pairing as the prefered option.

However, with all of the chopping and changing along with the relative inexperience of players in key playmaking positions, I think Craig Fitzgibbon might pick Moylan early in the year. Moylan has only played in 147 first grade games but he’s featured in big spots throughout his career and his experience can add a lot of value to a side that is sure to experience a few teething issues.

I like the idea of what the attack can achieve, too.

With Cameron McInnes likely to play at lock in a Victor Radley-like first receiver role, the Sharks halves won’t be tasked with so much of the organisational duties. The Sydney Roosters played some excellent football with inexperienced halves last year thanks, in large part, to where those halves took possession and when. Across the matches Radley sat in the stands suspended (far too many), James Tedesco made sure to feature close to the ruck in attack.

McInnes taking the ball through the middle around the ruck opens up space for three very good runners of the ball in Moylan, Hynes and Kennedy. All three can ball-play or provide the finishing touches to a shift one pass wider. Compressing the middle and finding space on the edges is where teams are finding the most success with the ball at the moment and having three attacking threats scattered across the field appeals.

READ: Who partners Nicho Hynes and in what number?

12. Lets Gone Warriors (OP)

I figured most of Jase’s Warriors rhetoric would focus on Shaun Johnson so I’m jumping in elsewhere while I can. 

I really like the Warriors’ roster heading into 2022. 

Their pack has a nice mix of big bodies (Addin Fonua-Blake, Matt Lodge, Ben Murdoch-Masila) and some skilful guys (Tohu Harris, Josh Curran, Bailey Sironen) who can distribute through the middle. The Warriors have been a little too ‘bash-and-crash’ in recent seasons but this is a roster that should be going around teams as well as through them. 

At dummy-half, regular readers will know I have a love-hate relationship with my boy, Wayde Egan.

He showed glimpses last season of the playmaker he can be but was guilty of overdoing it at times. With Johnson calling the shots, Egan can pick his moments in attack and focus on the subtleties of his ruck work rather than orchestrating the team’s attack. He’s shown he can be a crafty #9 but we need to see it more consistently in 2022 and with guys like Murdoch-Masila and Addin Fonua-Blake beside him, there are no excuses. 

It goes without saying that the likes of Reece Walsh, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Kodi Nikorima and Ash Taylor will also benefit from Johnson’s presence. The Warriors now have a playmaker who can point or pass Walsh into promising involvements on the field, rather than him sniffing them out all on his own. 

The Warriors also have the hope of finishing the 2022 NRL season from home, although those hopes did take a hit last week. Still, with a few winnable games to finish the season (Bulldogs, Cowboys, Titans) I won’t be surprised if the Warriors sneak into the finals in 2022.

13. On-ball Ponga (JO)

The Newcastle Knights really struggled to score points throughout 2021.

Inefficient in good ball to score just 0.64 points per tackle inside the opposition 20-metre line (15th) and ineffective with the ball overall to average only 17.9 points per game (15th), Newcastle’s time with the ball looked increasingly difficult. However, those issues may be something we look back on as an important part of their new and improved attack. Kalyn Ponga’s influence, in particular.

Ponga is a superb attacking fullback out the back of shape. He’s a triple-threat when he takes possession and it shows in the Knights scoring 51% of their 158 tries across the last two seasons down his preferred left side. It also shows a lack of an alternative action…

We know the Knights look to set up for a strike down the left edge. While Ponga’s individual brilliance is enough to break down below-average defences, the general lack of improvement can be put down to an inability to consistently break down the top teams in the NRL.

Much like Tom Trbojevic at the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Ponga IS the Knights attack. But, again like Trbojevic, it doesn’t always need to be in tries or try assists. That’s where Ponga playing on the ball more can help the Knights attack in 2022.

I’ve highlighted this play from last season a few times already but it is a fine example of what I expect to see a lot more of moving forward.

Ponga being more involved closer to the ruck and in the middle of the field can have huge benefits wider.

Where the defence might zero in on him out wide and take a ‘shut down Ponga, shut down the shift’ approach, they need to consider a lot more when he takes the ball in this spot.

He spies the overactive defence come out of the line and instantly targets the same defender on the following tackle. Having that inside option he wouldn’t typically have playing out the back of shape holds Payne Haas up from sliding for long enough to force the A defender into committing to the tackle, creating the two-v-one advantage out wide.

The conversation around Ponga playing five-eighth has popped up again over the off-season. Whether he runs out in the #6 jersey or not, expect to see him slot into more five-eighth-like positions on the field throughout the year.

14. Xavier Coates – Top Tryscorer in 2022 (OP)

This one is about as bold as I’m going to get (wait til you get to #22) but as soon as the markets open I’m putting a bit of coin on this. 

Xavier Coates at the Brisbane Broncos could’ve been anything. 

At the Melbourne Storm, he will be. 

Some of the feats Coates has pulled off inside 80 minutes so far have been downright unfair, and that was while playing in a struggling side without a recognised halfback. Playing on the wing in a team that just broke records for points scored in a regular season is another story altogether. 

There isn’t a better club in rugby league to develop Coates’ raw talent into a generational winger. Improving his defence will be Craig Bellamy’s primary focus but I think Coates scores a few meaty’s along the way.

He’s as big as Maika Sivo, almost as quick as Josh Addo-Carr and as good in the air as Kyle Feldt. 

He’s also just 20 years of age and joins the best in the business for 2022. 

It’s going to be a big year for Coates.

15. Jason Taumalolo (JO)

New rules, two broken hands and a changing role made the 2021 NRL season particularly difficult for Jason Taumalolo.

Counting stats like running metres per game can often paint inaccurate pictures, but circling Taumalolo’s 155 running metres per game – down from 207 per game in 2020 – says everything we need to know about his year.

He played in his usual #13 jersey to start the year but featured on the edge and in the front row. Never looking comfortable physically, as a ball-carrier or a ball-player, Taumalolo didn’t do anything as well as he could have throughout the year. You don’t half-arse your way to 155 metres per game, but this is Jason Taumalolo. It’s far from his best.

The hint of a passing game is encouraging and lends itself to a full-time shift into the front row with spells at lock when required.

Just imagine you’ve got the strongest ball-carrier in the NRL carting it up the middle, engaging two defenders and tipping the ball onto a teammate. The opportunities are there if Taumalolo can move the ball and those around him can time their run in preparation for a pass.

On this occasion here Taumalolo has three defenders preparing to tackle him. Shane Wright tightening up his run and receiving a pass puts him one-on-one with Tyson Gamble at worst.

He’s either getting through the line, releasing an offload or earning a quick play the ball from there.

I entertained the idea of Taumalolo spending time out on the edge last season but the game got away from him and that role. He’s still an elite ball-carrier. If he can further compress the middle by offering a passing option and earning more one and two-man tackles, Taumalolo will have a big part to play in the Cowboys attack in 2022.

16. Brian Kelly Believer (OP)

With AJ Brimson moving into five-eighth and Jayden Campbell impressing at fullback, the Gold Coast Titans look set to send plenty of traffic down their left edge this season. That means I’m buying some Brian Kelly stocks before they dry up. 

Kelly scored 12 tries and had seven assists from 22 games at left centre last season. At his best he’s one of the more dangerous attacking centres in the comp but inconsistency and unforced errors have hampered Kelly in the past. The memory of him dummying to unmarked teammate Philip Sami last year comes to mind and it’s lapses like these that must go if he’s to break into that top tier of NRL centres. 

Brimson and Campbell are two guys who can help him get there. 

The footwork Campbell puts on here is just unfair. Poor Rocco Berry is left clutching at air as Campbell skips to his outside and suddenly the Titans have a three-on-one situation on the edge – until Kelly crowds the space. I’m happy to let Kelly off here – Campbell’s footwork was that good it even beat his own teammate. It’s something the Titans would have surely practised over the summer and Kelly now knows what to expect. If he just holds his width here this is a try nine times out of 10. 

With Brimson in a leading playmaker’s role and Campbell a capable link-man to his outside backs, I’m tipping Kelly to be a focal point of Gold Coast’s attack in 2022 and a SuperCoach target, too.

17. Manly’s Try (JO)

It won’t have featured in the end-of-season highlights packages but this was my favourite try of the 2021 NRL season.

Tempo, deception and timing; it’s an absolute ripper from the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

Ignore the “too much structure” complaints and talk of shape in attack somehow being a bad thing. This is a prime example of how changing things up can bamboozle a defensive line.

18. St. George-Illawarra Dragons  (OP)

St. George-Illawarra ranked a lowly 15th for total run metres in 2021. Injuries and suspensions to key players in their forward rotation saw the Dragons struggle for ascendancy through the middle of the field and forced their playmakers to attack off the back foot for most of the season. 

With this in mind, I really like how they’ve recruited over the summer. A likely starting pack of Aaron Woods, Andrew McCullough, Josh McGuire, Tariq Sims, Jaydn Su’A and Jack de Belin all have representative experience while Queensland reps Moses Mbye, Francis Molo and English international George Burgess could sit on the bench. That’s a pretty handy rotation when you’ve got Jack Bird to slot in there somewhere too. 

There will be talk of an ageing roster but the Dragons now have a veteran pack that will compete through the middle. De Belin in particular is a guy we’re tipping for a big year given how quickly he adjusted to the modern game in 2021. He was half a yard off the pace on his return and still had an immediate impact on the Red V attack with his ballplaying from first-receiver. 

With the Dragons creating momentum around the ruck, opportunities will open up for St George-Illawarra’s strike players out wide. In Zac Lomax and Mikaele Ravalawa the Dragons have one of the most repeatable and effective attacking actions in the NRL. 

Lomax skips to the outside as well as anyone and that flick pass is nigh-impossible to defend. 

Now imagine it off a quick play-the-ball and at a retreating defence. 

I like the pack Anthony Griffin has assembled in his two years at the club and there’s plenty of talent in this backline. If Ben Hunt can keep himself on the field, St George are far from wooden spoon favourites for mine.

19. Where Teddy Turns Up (JO)

James Tedesco played a very different game from his usual in 2021.

More likely in response to the regular injuries at key playmaking positions than a preseason plan, Tedesco spent a lot more time closer to the ball as he provided more leadership and organisation than ever before.

You can see the difference in where Tedesco completed passes across the last two seasons.

He increased his involvement in exit sets as he passed big forwards onto the ball one off the ruck. It’s in attacking sets that we can really see the difference, though. Rarely seen in the middle of the field in good ball areas in 2020, he took on a lot more of the ball-playing duties in that part of the field in 2021.

Luke Keary is back and Sam Walker will be better for the experience. I’m curious to see where and how often Tedesco is involved in attack and whether or not he reverts back to his wide style of pre-2021.

20. Adam Doueihi, Jackson Hastings…. and Luke Brooks (OP)

Rugby league fans love a selection headache. We’re told it’s always a good problem for coaches to have but I bet Michael Maguire wishes he had some Panadol for this one. 

The Tigers have Adam Doueihi, Jackson Hastings and Luke Brooks on their roster heading into this season but only two positions available between them. With Doueihi rehabbing an ACL injury it will be Hasting and Brooks to begin the season but the debate will rage once Doueihi becomes available for selection. 

“He mightn’t be their best player (he also very well could be), but the influence Doueihi has on the Tigers’ attack is significant and they are – on last year’s form – a better team with Doueihi in a leading playmaker role. This was highlighted by the polarising figure of Luke Brooks in the halves beside him who, while not nearly as poor as what some would have you believe, still hasn’t quite come into his own after nine seasons in first grade.” – Wests Tigers: Doueihi, Hastings… and Brooks

It’s one of the few things that Jase and I remain disagreed on. 

He’s sticking with Brooks while I’ve got Doueihi and Hastings as Wests’ halves to finish the season. Where that leaves Brooks is anyone’s guess, but a mid-season move would not surprise me. 

21. Panthers Fatigue (JO)

Going back-to-back in the NRL is incredibly difficult.

Even going to back-to-back NRL Grand Finals is a tough ask.

We can talk about the Penrith Panthers being a young team and motivated to do it. Young or old, every team is motivated in March. What really needs to be considered is the inevitable fatigue and reliance on depth when assessing whether or not the Panthers can work their way through another long slog of a season.

Even in 2021 before winning the premiership, there were certainly signs of fatigue both physically and mentally after the State of Origin period.

The Panthers are going to be good – we know that much. How good, we will have to wait and see. Regardless, the way they navigate the middling stages of the NRL season and the kilometres that go into the legs of their most influential players as finals football approaches will be something to monitor.

22. Latrell Mitchell: 2022 Dally M Winner (OP)

Latrell Mitchell joined South Sydney in 2020 and so began his hotly contested transition from centre to fullback. Social and mainstream media weren’t convinced and when Mitchell tore his hamstring late that season the doubters were vindicated. 

‘Too unfit. Too lazy. He’s not a fullback.’

A year later and people slowly cottoned on to what Mitchell brings to the fullback position. He’s one of the most destructive ball carriers in the game and no one has softer hands out the back of shape. Linking with Cody Walker on the left edge or Adam Reynolds on the right, Mitchell’s ability to create the extra numbers and execute the pass proved unstoppable at times in 2021.

Then he found himself suspended for six weeks. 

Both the hamstring injury and the suspension came on the eve of finals and just when South Sydney and Mitchell himself were hitting form. 

With a little luck and a little more care, it can be third time’s a charm for Mitchell and the Rabbitohs in 2022.

Reynolds is gone and we can expect Walker and Mitchell to feature heavily in anything good Souths do this year. They mightn’t be the side of 2021 but Souths will still expect to win their share of games and play finals footy. Couple that with Mitchell’s profile in the game (and the horribly flawed Dally M voting system) and he’s a fair crack at the game’s top individual gong at the end of the year.