Seibold said Olakau’atu knew how to control his emotions, and that incident further enhanced his leadership qualities.
“He learned a lot from that experience because he hurt his teammates back here, he apologised for that, understood he needed to repay his teammates when he came to Manly, and I thought he did do that,” Seibold said.
Haumole Olakau’atu loses his cool against the Wests Tigers.Credit: Nine
“The back end of the season for him was outstanding. Part of the thing that makes him such a special player is he not only has great skill for a big man, but he has a presence about him. It’s one of his weapons, and we don’t want to take that away from him.
“He’s aggressive. Sam Burgess was aggressive, that was his weapon, and that’s Haumole’s weapon. We’re all about encouraging weapons here. We don’t try to take away what a player’s strengths are. [Even though he is a leader] we want him to continue to be that aggressive edge backrower.”
Olakau’atu credited his fiancee, Ana, for helping him through the tough times, and making sure “I stay in my lane”, while he was also confident his leadership role would help him keep a cool head under pressure.
“I got a lot of backlash from fans and media [after Origin III], and while I realised I’d get hate, I also got a lot of support, including from ‘Seibs’ [Seibold] and the boys,” he said.
Haumole Olakau’atu is now one of the best backrowers in the NRL.Credit: James Brickwood/SMH
“Nothing changes for me. It’s about playing consistent footy and having that same aggression, but also being a bit more aware now I’m a leader.
“When Seibs gave me the news, I was shocked at first, but once it sunk in, it was an honour. When Seibs told me he had mentioned it to ‘Chez’, Jake and Tom, and they were stoked about it, that only made me happier.”
Cherry-Evans is 35, Jake is 30 and Tom now 28, which leaves 26-year-old Olakau’atu arguably in the box seat to lead the club once they eventually depart. Manly have signed Olakau’atu until the end of 2031.
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“It would be a dream to captain this club,” he said. “If I get the chance, I’ll try my best to perform the best I can – I won’t let the boys down, that’s for sure.”
