There is no wonder why the Manly Sea Eagles squad has responded positively to Kieran Foran's admission as Sea Eagles head coach.
The beloved Manly legend spent his spare time during his bye week travelling up to the Central Coast to check on recently axed Blue Haumole Olakau'atu.
The pair has a strong relationship, given they shared the field in 2021 and 2022 in the maroon and white, along with Foran recently unlocking the Tongan wrecking ball to playing career-best footy.
Olakau'atu has been the standout forward this year, and put in a solid performance on the right edge for the NSW Blues in the opening game before cramps forced him from the field in the 67th minute.
Making more metres than any other Blues forward, Olakau'atu backed up his performance a week later against South Sydney with one of the most dominant displays from the second row ever, recording 266 run metres, 140 post-contact metres, a try assist and five tackle breaks.
It caught many by surprise to see Blues coach Laurie Daley relegate the 27-year-old to 20th man for the second game of the series despite his electric form.
Foran then decided to make the 200-kilometre round trip up to Blues camp on the Central Coast to check on his star back rower and provide support after his dropping.
The Sea Eagles legend was captured on Nine's camera footage chatting with Daley and Olakau'atu on Thursday.
“I know it can be really hard as a player when you miss out on these representative sides. He was looking forward to playing against Queensland,” Foran told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Former Blues players Luke Keary and Bryan Fletcher couldn't wrap their heads around his omission and insisted he is at the top of his game, which should have warranted his selection.
“I think he's the best back rower in the NRL,” Keary said on Fox League's The Late Show with Fletch.
“He ran for the most metres in our (New South Wales) forward pack. I thought that he was our best option as a right back rower,” former Blue Fletcher continued.
Former Blues legend Nathan Hindmarsh also chimed in on the debate, questioning how Daley could have utilised the star following the defensive onslaught from the Queensland Maroons early in the opening contest.
“A little bit (surprised)… because he is in form at the moment with Manly," he said.
“He didn't have the best game in Origin one, but it was hard for them to use him how they wanted to use him.
“They were under the pump early; it took a bit of gas out of him, so I would've liked to have seen him probably get another start in there to see if they could have used him a little bit better.
“I don't know whether they're worried about his speed laterally?
“Queensland have) A little more pace on the edges, that's what I'm concerned with. That's the only thing I can think about.”
The Blues and Maroons will meet in Melbourne on Wednesday, June 17, at the MCG for Game 2 of the series.
