Chaos as NSW Blues star is banished to the sheds at Suncorp Stadium

Haumole Olakau’atu’s passion for representing NSW in the State of Origin, especially during a series decider, is undeniable. His commitment to the team is evident, and it’s clear that playing for NSW means a great deal to him.

In a dramatic turn of events, Olakau’atu, who was serving as NSW’s 19th man, found himself at the center of attention for reasons off the field. During the first half of the match at Suncorp Stadium, he became involved in a melee on the sidelines, which led to his removal from the area.

What made the scene even more striking was that Olakau’atu was easily noticeable in his game day suit, standing out among the chaos. His involvement in the altercation underscored his intense passion for the game and his team, even when he wasn’t on the field.

In an extraordinary turn of events, Blues star Cameron Murray made history by becoming the first player to be sin-binned from the interchange bench due to his involvement in a brawl.

The incident unfolded when Haumole Olakau’atu, still in his suit, jumped off the NSW bench to join the fracas after a clash between Jarome Luai and Daly Cherry-Evans spilled over the sideline.

A fired-up Olakau’atu quickly engaged in a heated push-and-shove with Maroons winger Valentine Holmes, further escalating the situation.

As a result, both Murray and Jeremiah Nanai were sin-binned, while Olakau’atu was removed from the sidelines and sent to the Blues’ dressing room to cool off.

He was then restricted to watching the remainder of the match from either the dressing room or the Blues coaching box.

Olakau’atu had played for the Blues in the first two games of the series but was left out of the lineup for the decider by coach Michael Maguire. Meanwhile, Maguire’s counterpart, Billy Slater, was aiming for his third consecutive series victory.

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