Manly Sea Eagles powerhouse Haumole Olakau'atu is eager to rejoin the NSW Blues after being excluded by coach Laurie Daley for State of Origin Game 2.
Following his omission, Newcastle's Dylan Lucas took Olakau'atu's place on the right edge but fell short of delivering the same level of impact as the Tongan international.
In a narrow 13-12 loss to the Bulldogs, Olakau'atu and his teammates showcased remarkable resilience. Despite battling a shoulder issue in the second half, he managed to run for 154 metres and achieve nine tackle breaks.
The 27-year-old expressed his readiness to rejoin the squad, stating to the NewsWire that he would "like to think" he's still in the running for a call-up from Daley and his coaching team.
"I handled it pretty well. I tried not to dwell on it too much, so it's been a really enjoyable week despite the score on Wednesday and tonight," he remarked to the NewsWire after the match against the Bulldogs.
"I'd like to think (he is in contention for Game 3).
"He (Daley) was pretty happy with how I went about it, and we still talk as well. Hopefully, I get picked."
"I'm available, and it's obviously up to 'Loz' and the other guys to choose the best squad possible for game three. It's all in his hands."
Olakau'atu was the top-performing forward in terms of metreage during Game 1, highlighting the necessity of his aggressive playing style, which was notably lacking in Game 2.