LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Stefano Utoikamanu's preparations for the State of Origin decider took a disastrous turn when he missed his flight from Melbourne to Sydney on Monday morning.
Reports from au.news.yahoo.com revealed that while Blues players gathered at the NSWRL, it was noted that three squad members would be absent.
Payne Haas was receiving treatment for a back issue in Brisbane, and Bradman Best was returning from Hamilton Island.
However, the major focus was on Utoikamanu, who misread his flight information and barely made it in time for the team's media commitments ahead of the match scheduled for next Wednesday.
Reflecting on the incident, Utoikamanu expressed regret, stating, "Not a good way to start.
It was something really stupid." He admitted his concerns about facing potential repercussions for his mistake, explaining, "I looked at my flight and it said 10am departure, but for some reason I thought it meant 10am boarding time." Fortunately, he managed to arrive just in time for the important engagements, but the slip-up left him anxious about the implications for his focus and readiness for the upcoming match.