Brisbane skipper Adam Reynolds has been injured at training and appeared in serious discomfort as he limped off the field in Brisbane on Monday.
Reynolds is reportedly on the cusp of signing a one-year extension until the end of 2025, but there have been questions around the veteran’s long-term fitness.
The 33-year-old missed several games last year with calf injuries and footage shows Reynolds hobbling off the field on Monday without being able to put any pressure on his right leg.
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JD SHUTS DOWN LATRELL SWITCH
Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou has shut down talk of Latrell Mitchell switching positions this year.
In an interview with News Corp, Demetriou confirmed Mitchell will play fullback.
It comes after a hot-and-cold 2023 season for the South Sydney star in which he only played 16 games.
Mitchell battled a calf injury mid-season that sidelined him for two months. He returned in Round 22 but struggled to find consistent form.
His season ended on a sour note with the 26-year-old missing the Rabbitohs’ must-win game against the Roosters in the final round of the season due to a suspension.
Pundits have often floated the idea of shifting Mitchell to the centres — where he won two premierships with the Roosters.
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He hasn’t played more than 17 games in a season since joining the Rabbitohs and some believe that disruption at fullback can be detrimental to a side’s premierships chances. Others just believe he’s a better centre than a fullback.
But Demetriou is backing his marquee player for a big year in the No.1 jersey — especially after a longer pre-season than usual.
“I’ve had those conversations with him and it’s about getting him ready for a full season at fullback, which he hasn’t had yet,” Demetriou told News Corp.
“He hasn’t trained before early or mid-January since he came to the club and to have him doing the workload he’s doing at the moment, that is going to set him up for a really good season.
“People get jobs in the press and I respect that’s (their) opinion. But when you see Latrell day-in, day-out and see what he brings to the team, people forget our season started going pear-shaped when he got injured.”
Campbell Graham and new recruit Jack Wighton are expected to be the Rabbitohs’ first-choice centre pairing.
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DRAGONS’ SUCCESS HINGES ON NEW-LOOK HALVES PAIRING
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan is hoping his new-look halves pairing can steer the club to much more success in 2024.
Ben Hunt was set to partner Talatau Amone in the halves for the third season until Amone was deregistered after being found guilty of a hammer attack.
Flanagan has since turned to his son — and new recruit — Kyle, who will start the season at five-eighth.
Kyle has joined the Dragons from the Bulldogs, where he experienced the highs and lows of rugby league rollercoaster. He went from being the first-choice halfback to being dropped and recalled a couple of times to then playing hooker off the bench.
Shane is hoping the 25-year-old will thrive while working alongside one of the most experienced halfbacks in the game in Hunt.
He also knows it’s “crucial” that the two gel well given they will be guiding the team around the park.
“Kyle is a young half who had a lot of expectation on him at the Bulldogs — he had some good days and some not so good days, but he knows what I want from him,” Shane said.
“His combination with Ben, the influence Ben has had him, how they work together has been what I thought it would be (so far).
“Kyle’s style suits Ben, it frees Ben up to do a lot of things. Ben has been the organiser and had to come up with a lot of big plays but now he doesn’t have to do it all on his own.
“Kyle can just do his job. He is not the type of No.7 who can pull teams apart with his running game whereas Ben can… I think they complement each other a little bit and Kyle has really enjoyed his time working with Ben.
“Ben came back early from his break and their combination has been working well and I think it has helped Ben and it has definitely helped Kyle.
“Their partnership is crucial for our success.”
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