Haumole Olakau’atu has a confession that he hopes NSW fans can forgive him for. The Blues forward grew up a Queensland fan.

“If I’m going to be honest, I was growing up going for the Maroons,” Olakau’atu admitted on his first full day in Blues camp. 

“I didn’t know footy at the time when I was young. I did play footy, but I didn’t know that it was such a big thing. 

“My old man was a Maroons supporter as well, so I knew nothing but Maroons every time Origin came up.”

It’s why the Guilford junior grew up loving the likes of Greg Inglis and Johnathan Thurston, as NSW won only one series between his seventh and 19th birthdays.

And also the reason behind Olakau’atu’s social media post after Game I in 2022, when he wrote “Been a Maroons since day dot” on Instagram.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” Olakau’atu said on Tuesday. 

“I was stupid. I was childish. I hope all the NSW fans can forgive me.”

Now, though, the powerful Manly back-rower is adamant he is a true Blue.

“I started to realise over the years when I was playing, I live here in NSW,” Olakau’atu said. 

“So I deserve to be a Blues supporter.

“Since playing in first grade I’ve realised I’m Blues through and through.”

Olakau’atu’s emotion about being picked for his NSW debut is clear.

He was left speechless when called by coach Michael Maguire on Sunday, and his father Ola was in tears beside him.

First spotted by Manly while waiting in the car watching his close friend Manase Fainu train for under-20s, he has become one of the most powerful second-rowers in the NRL.

The 26-year-old has admitted speculation over Origin selection had impacted his football in recent years, including last year when he narrowly missed out to Keaon Koloamatangi.

“At first I was disappointed, I’m not gonna lie,” Olakau’atu said. “I did feel a bit of fire with it.”

This year, though, it has been different. The second-rower has worked closely with Manly’s mental skills coach Andrew May, with breathing exercises helping keep him on track. “It’s just with all breathing work and trying to narrow my focus closer to game days,” Olakau’atu said. 

“It’s all these mindful things he’s been telling us to do. It’s helped me a lot in the last year. It really does work when you actually do it.”

Fresh Tedesco to spice up Roosters

The Sydney Roosters are hoping NSW’s loss is their gain as revealing data exposes just how vulnerable the Tricolours are without inspirational skipper James Tedesco.

Tedesco’s axing from the Blues for next week’s State of Origin opener against Queensland will leave the Australian captain available for full club duty during the interstate representative period for the first time since he joined the Roosters in 2018.

AAP can reveal the Roosters have only won 12 of 26 games during Tedesco’s run of 22 consecutive Origin appearance for NSW at a strike rate of just 46 per cent.

But while the Bondi-based glamour club have won eight from 11 matches without Tedesco on deck while he’s on Origin duties, it’s the side’s galling four-from-15 success rate when the superstar No.1 backs up during the gruelling series that may surprise – and alarm – Roosters fans.

Either way, teammates are relishing having a fresh Tedesco against North Queensland on Sunday and presumably the entire Origin series unless the 31-year-old earns a recall.

“It’s massive for us,” centre Joey Many said on Tuesday.

“Usually he’s always away, but I’m happy that he’s going to be playing with us this week.

“He’s a champion player. He’s done pretty much everything in the game.

“Obviously you want to see him play in Origin, but he’s been playing awesome all year.

“I just try to run off him. He’s been giving me some great ball lately.”

Halfback Sam Walker expects Tedesco to bounce back from his Origin snubbing “like he always does”.

“He’s going to kill it,” Walker said, predicting the Roosters having the influential fullback on hand for more games will only enhance their prospects of emerging from Origin as Penrith’s biggest threat to a fourth straight premiership.

“It’s always an interesting time of the year. It’s  make or break for a lot of clubs that sort of border in there and they might lose a couple of players.

“I think we’re in a really good position as a club with the depth we have.

“Obviously Penrith are a class team – they’ve won the last three conferences.

“It’s no secret that they’ll be in amongst it at the end of the year.

“We had an opportunity at the start of the year to beat them and we weren’t up to that.

“But I feel like we’ve really progressed as a club and as a team over the last five or six weeks to put ourselves in a position.

“I believe we were the best team and that we’ll be there at the end of the year, and that’s the confidence that we’re instilling at the club at the moment.”

Roosters with and witout Tedesco in Origin period

WITHOUT TEDESCO 2018-2023 – won 8, lost 3

beat Wests Tigers 16-14
beat Gold Coast 20-12
beat Canterbury 38-12
beat Wests Tigers 24-16
lost to North Queensland 15-12
beat Gold Coast 35-34
beat Canterbury 22-16
beat North Queensland 34-18
lost to Canberra 22-16
beat Newcastle 18-16
lost to Melbourne 30-16

WITH TEDESCO – won 4, lost 11

beat Newcastle 18-16
beat Penrith 32-6
lost to Melbourne 9-8
lost to Penrith 19-10
lost to Melbourne 14-12
lost to Penrith 38-12
lost to Melbourne 46-0
lost to Melbourne 26-18
lost to Parramatta 26-16
lost to Penrith 26-18
beat St George Illawarra 54-26
beat Canterbury 25-24
lost to Penrith 30-6
lost to Canberra 20-18
lost to Manly 18-16

ROOSTERS DURING ORIGIN SERIES 2018-23

Won 12, lost 14