The Manly Sea Eagles have made a formal appeal to the NRL to reconsider Tolutau Koula's 11-day standdown due to a head injury assessment (HIA), following his return to training without any lingering symptoms.
Koula's participation in the NSW Blues State of Origin debut was cut short in the 57th minute due to a severe collision with Kalyn Ponga, which led to Ponga being sent off by Ashley Klein and Koula being withdrawn for an HIA review.
An AAP report reveals that a spokesperson from Manly expressed intentions to have the standdown lifted so Koula could participate in their important matchup against the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Thursday.
Initially, Koula displayed category two symptoms before failing the concussion evaluation at Accor Stadium. However, after returning to training, he was approved for practice reps, bolstering the club's argument for his inclusion this week.
Koula sat out the previous match against the Sharks along with his Blues teammate Haumole Olakau'atu, just 48 hours after Game 1.
This is a pivotal moment for Koula as he won't receive another chance to impress coach Laurie Daley before the selection for the second game of the series.
Amidst this, the Rabbitohs are anticipating the return of key players including Brandon Smith, Campbell Graham, and David Fifita, making it essential for Manly to have one of their top talents on the field.
Jason Saab, a teammate of Koula, stated to AAP that he would be thrilled to see Koula back at his best in the sky blue colors.