Haumole Olakau'atu’s Origin hopes have taken a major hit after the Manly enforcer suffered a dislocated shoulder during his side’s bruising 28-8 loss to the Gold Coast Titans on Friday night.
The injury occurred in the second half as Olakau'atu surged towards the tryline, only to be cut down by a brilliant Beau Fermor tackle that knocked the ball loose and left the Sea Eagles forward clutching his right arm in agony.
He was taken from the field shortly after, with scans confirming the dislocation, casting serious doubt over any involvement in the final game of the Origin series.
Manly coach Anthony Seibold didn’t sugar-coat the situation.
“My understanding is if there's bone damage, he'll need a reconstruction,” Seibold said post-match. “If it's muscle or ligaments only, he could potentially rehab it over six weeks, but he's going to be gone for a while. But it probably summed up our night — he's going for a try and dislocates his shoulder.”
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The timing couldn’t be worse for the 25-year-old, who was named in NSW’s extended squad for Game I and had been angling for a late call-up in Game III.
He chose to remain with his partner for the birth of their second child rather than join the Blues camp ahead of Game II, a decision that now looks to be followed by a forced stint on the sidelines.
To compound Manly’s misery, the match was marred by yet another Bunker controversy and an out-of-form performance that leaves their finals hopes hanging by a thread.
Olakau'atu’s absence will not only hurt his Origin aspirations but also deal a damaging blow to Manly’s forward pack in the run home.