Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion
- Thread starter MacDougall
- Start date
Haumole Olakau'atu?
pawsandclaws1
Well-known member
This article makes interesting reading.
www.smh.com.au
Leaks and sabotage: Inside the power play that shook South Sydney
Sam Burgess believes coach Jason Demetriou undermined his tenure at the club because they were at odds on how to handle Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell.
BlackWhiteGold
Well-known member
Just a reminder about this story from 2021 in the SMH. Four key surnames in this article ... Olakau'atu, Fainu, Fulton & Lambkin 😉
.....
Nearly every good rugby league player is spotted when they are young and on the football field.
Manly wrecking ball Haumole Olakau’atu was spotted in a car park.
Olakau’atu has been one of the many excellent young stars who have shot to stardom for the Sea Eagles this season.
The 22-year-old has terrorised rivals on the right edge. Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans is only half joking when he describes Olakau’atu - all 196cm and 112kg of him - as “the scariest man in rugby league”.
NSW coach Brad Fittler is a fan, and confirmed he was about to bring Olakau’atu into the extended squad ahead of Origin III, only to realise Manly did not have a bye that weekend.
Sadly Saturday night’s rivals, Parramatta, never rated Olakau’atu and snubbed the Fairfield junior not once but twice from their Harold Matthews and SG Ball sides.
Which brings us back to 2016 and the car park at the Sea Eagles’ Narrabeen training base.
Olakau’atu was training with the Southern Districts colts team when Manly hooker Manase Fainu asked him if he could keep him company during the long drive from Sydney’s south-west to the northern beaches a couple of times a week.
“I’d sit in the car and just watch Manase train,” Olakau’atu said.
“Manase said I should join him at training, he asked if it was OK, I started training on a Monday, we had a trial that week against the Dragons.
“I played, [coach] Wayne Lambkin liked the way I played, [recruitment manager] Scott Fulton liked the way I played, and then I was signed.
“It was all Manase’s doing in the end. I’m so grateful to him.”
Lambkin, who was only in his first year of coaching Manly’s Holden Cup team, took one look at the giant seated in Fainu’s Audi and said it made sense for him to pull on the boots and have a go.
“I remember asking the boys if he could play, and I was like, ‘far out, he’s big enough’, and ‘is he the right age?” Lambkin said.
“I spoke to him and said, ‘do you want a train-and-trial with us?’ instead of just driving your mates to training.”
For the record, the Manly under-20s team won the premiership in 2017, with Olakau’atu and Cade Cust forming a lethal combination on the left edge.
Fainu quipped he was still waiting to be paid the 6.5 per cent management fee for delivering his good friend to the northern beaches.
“I even gave him my bank details,” Fainu said.
“He’s always been a gun. We played juniors together. We’re related. His father and my grandmother grew up in the same village in Tonga.
“We even played in the same under-13s team at Wentworthville. [Penrith winger] Brian To’o was also in the side. He was a centre. Haumole and I were the wingers. I’m so happy for him. ”
Olakau’atu is related to North Queensland enforcer Jason Taumalolo, the man whose decision to defect to Tonga before the 2017 World Cup breathed new life into international rugby league, but he has never met nor spoken to him.
He has now played 14 games this season, made the right-edge back row spot his own, and continued to develop his on-field combination with Cherry-Evans.
“He’s the scariest man in the NRL - he just looks it - but he’s such a great fella,” Cherry-Evans said.
“He’s always had potential, he’s been in our full-time squad a couple of years. We all knew how good he could be, we were just waiting for him to understand it. For whatever reason it’s clicking for him this year and we’re getting to enjoy it”
Nonotmeagain
Well-known member
Not sure he can't coach. He's coached sides to win the Heineken Cup, Super Rugby (against the Crusaders), In 2015, he received the World Rugby Coach of the Year award. Coached Australia the the 1/4 finals in a world cup in rugby and a 1/4 final in league. Lately he coached the Argentines to a win over Australia and close results to NZ and Sth Africa.
Leichhardt_Logger
Member
Thanks, brother!
Tiger Tarl
Well-known member
Can Olakau'atu play centre? I'd love him here but centre is the position we need for 2024. Manu would be amazing but very unlikely.
Sorry mate, I wasn't talking about Cheika. You're right, he can coach. I was just being flippant.
hammertime
Well-known member
Yeah, that's the issue. Who's the odd man out with Bateman, Paps, Fainu and Olakau'atu? Assuming Blore plays prop. You'd want to have one of those edges in centre otherwise we've got too much $$$ in our edge forwards
Roar_Power
Well-known member
We would have to have the strongest forward pack in the NRL if he signed.
I'm hearing that Ryan Carr who's interim at the Dragons is coming over as an assistant
Tiger Tarl
Well-known member
I'd have Paps and Olakau'atu on the edges, Bateman as Lock. Fainu will end up in the front row eventually but whilst he's young he plays well on the edge.
8. Klem
10. Stef
11. Paps
12. Olakau'atu
13. Bateman
14. Twal
15. Blore
16. Pole/Fainu/Matamua/Seyfarth
17. ?
Not a bad pack. Still need a strike centre though...
pawsandclaws1
Well-known member
I listened to him being interview by Allana Ferguson on 9 and he was impressive and articulate. If true, there is a lot to like about the staff being assembled for 2024 and beyond.
I should have written this initially but Marshall appears to be surrounding himself with the best assistants. That augers well for the future.
Last edited:
Tigers_Wests
Well-known member
Fingers crossed. A mate of mine has some links with the Dragons and apparently Carr is very well respected and popular amongst the playing group. The players really want to turn up and have a dig for him.
John Morris is certainly a step in the right direction. Carr would also improve our coaching setup for 2024 and beyond.
pawsandclaws1
Well-known member
Channel 9 just reported Beau Ryan is back at the WTs and the club want him to stay around. I am not sure what that means but Klemmer said the players love him and he is great for morale.
hammertime
Well-known member
Would be perfect for a media role.
gallagher
Well-known member
Getting a bit ridiculous isn't it?
king_sirro
Well-known member
Carr would be a great get
I don’t care who they bring in, I just want a team that can win more than a handful of games every year.
Kaito
Well-known member
Visiting. He was in the DJ Yallah tracksuit too haha
