Sea Eagles star Haumole Olakau’atu is keen to make amends when he returns from suspension on Saturday afternoon against the Raiders, having served a two-game ban for his involvement in a sideline melee during the State of Origin decider despite not playing in the match.
Olakau’atu came off the bench for the Blues in the first two games but was relegated to the 19th man for the decider at Suncorp Stadium. The game reached a boiling point in the first half when a push and shove escalated into a full-blown fracas that spilled onto the Queensland bench.

During the altercation, Jarome Luai found himself surrounded by Maroons players, prompting Cameron Murray—who was on the bench at the time—and Olakau’atu to rush over and protect him. Both players were subsequently hit with grade 3 contrary conduct charges as they were not on the field when the fight broke out. Queensland legend Corey Parker criticized the punishment, suggesting Olakau’atu should have received a six-match ban as he was wearing a suit when he intervened. Despite the harsh critique, Olakau’atu has taken the lesson to heart and is eager to redeem himself after serving his suspension.

The Sea Eagles managed to win one of the two matches during his absence, with some fans arguing that he did nothing wrong since players are taught from a young age to protect their teammates at all costs.

“It’s a balance, but at the same time, it’s a choice,” Olakau’atu said, acknowledging that no Manly officials made him feel guilty for his actions. “There are some places where you make the right choices and some where you make the wrong ones, and in that moment I made the wrong choice. My club had to suffer for it so it’s on me. It all comes down to me just being silly and being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

He continued, “The fact that the club had to suffer for that is on my end so I take full responsibility. I apologize for what happened, and hopefully we can move on and I can get my head around finals.”

Olakau’atu will be lining up next to Reuben Garrick on the right edge, with Garrick back on deck after being ruled out by the independent head doctor in their recent loss to the Roosters.

Garrick has missed two games this year due to concussion, although he was adamant on the night that he was completely fine as he passed the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) despite appearing to stumble following a tackle gone wrong on Daniel Tupou.

The NRL reinforced the diagnosis with the chief medical officer indicating that Garrick had suffered a concussion. While Garrick disagrees with the assessment, he acknowledges the importance of the league’s efforts to protect players’ brains.

“It wasn’t diagnosed as that, so I just have a different viewpoint to what the Bunker ruled on that night,” Garrick said. “You can’t go back and change it so I just have to do a better job with my technique in the tackle. On the night I passed everything with flying colors, but I know that they’re trying to look after our best interests as players.”

He added, “I never want to take that away or be too harsh on them because I can see what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. It’s good for the game and it’s good for us as athletes because it shows that there’s a duty of care so I’m happy with what the league is doing in that space. The competitive side of you doesn’t want to miss footy, but I can see what they’re trying to do.”

As the Sea Eagles prepare for their crucial match against the Raiders, both Olakau’atu and Garrick are eager to make significant contributions and help their team secure a victory. Their return brings added strength and experience to the lineup, bolstering the team’s chances as they aim for a strong finish to the season and a successful run in the finals.