Injured South Sydney centre Latrell Mitchell will miss the second State of Origin clash in Melbourne, ruling him out of NSW selection.Mitchell sustained a back injury against the Knights, which caused him to miss a game against Cronulla, return for Magic Round, then suffer a setback.South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett confirmed Mitchell will not return until round 17 against Parramatta, after the June 18 Origin II match.Despite hopes for a quicker comeback, the recovery has taken longer than anticipated, although Mitchell's back injury is not worsening.In his absence, Campbell Graham is fit for Manly, while Stephen Crichton and Kotoni Staggs are expected to continue as the Blues’ centre pairing.Mitchell Moses, who pulled up with a minor hamstring injury before Origin I, is likely to reclaim the NSW No.6 jersey if he proves his fitness for Parramatta next Monday.Laurie Daley, NSW coach, emphasised loyalty to Moses, noting his prior performances and minor injury.Other players under consideration for selection include Jacob Kiraz, Payne Haas, Liam Martin, Api Koroisau, and Connor Watson.

Daley also reflected on the Blues’ slow start in the previous game, attributing it to errors and disrupted training rhythm, and indicated adjustments will be considered ahead of the next match.