So should Dale Finucane have been for that matter. 

Finucane’s broken thumb and four-week absence from the field makes a clear case as to why he missed a spot.

However, Aitken is arguably the best centre in the NRL right now and you would be hard-pressed to find any reasons Latrell Mitchell was more worthy of the number three jumper than the former Merimbula-Pambula junior. 

He is a career footballer with the abilities and off-field etiquette to match; he’s pulled on a jumper for Scotland and lined up in the final edition of the Country v City Origin in 2016. 

Before that he was a star in the National Youth Competition and before that he played Schoolboys for Australia. 

His work ethic is impeccable and on-field it’s hard to find a comparison. Even in his junior years, Aitken was regarded as a hard-runner and he boasts better metres than Mitchell, or the number four jumper James Roberts. 

Aitken has put in almost 1700 metres, averaging 119 per game as opposed to Mitchell’s 1130 and Roberts’ 1074. 

He’s run more hit ups and also makes more metres for the Dragons than his rivals post-contact. 

His attacking presence has also been a highlight for the Dragons, scoring eight tries this season compared to the six claimed by both the number three and four for the Blues respectively. 

Defensively, he’s made almost twice the tackles as Mitchell and missed just 22 compared to the 16 of Mitchell, giving him a better tackling efficiency, by NRL statistics, than either of the other two. 

He would be a natural choice for the Blues, so again, why was he scratched for the seemingly inferior choices? 

Unfortunately, there are a few areas where Mitchell and Roberts shine above the Bulldogs junior. 

Try assists is the key area that was a likely tipping point with Aitken boasting no try assists this year, while Roberts has five and Mitchell has four on his card. 

The only other area where Aitken “falls down” as pundits would put it is his footwork, with less tackle breaks than Mitchell or Roberts. 

But that statistic almost seems irrelevant, it is already shown that Aitken makes more metres with defenders attached than the other two. 

And it reminds me of an anecdote Aitken once shared, about impressing selectors during an under 14s rep carnival where he “crossed the line with three defenders on my back”, literally carrying them across the line with him. 

Despite claims Mitchell “should be right” for game two, there is a shadow over the Roosters centre after a brutal tackle left him with a worrying neck injury.  Your humble sports reporter suggests Brad Fitler should bring Aitken into camp soon than later as you won’t find a better player for the job.