“To be honest,I was surprised by[the furore],it made a lot of headlines. There’s not too much else I can say about it.”

Koula echoed the comments of Schuster on Nine News,denying regular suggestions the boycott had divided the team.

“It’s been a roller coaster of a season,to say the least,” Koula said. “But I think with everything that’s happened,it’s brought all of us closer together. There’s been a lot of noise,the main thing was trying to block out that noise and not let it affect us. It was all pretty crazy.”

Olakau’atu said he had been in contact with Hasler since his exit. Anthony Seibold will be installed as Manly’s new coach once the terms of a three-year deal are sorted.

“I haven’t spoken to[Hasler] but I sent him a text after seeing everything that happened all over the socials,” the Tongan back-rower said.

“I just said I was gutted for him,sad that he was leaving and wishing him all the best.”

Olakau’atu declined to comment on suggestions the fallout had cost Hasler his job.

In the months following his withdrawal from the round 20 game,when Manly wore the controversial jersey,Olakau’atu banned himself from social media to get away from the spotlight.

Both he and Koula shape as pivotal figures in Tonga’s World Cup campaign,particularly the young fullback after he clocked up 239 running metres and a scintillating try-assist for Will Penisini against Papua New Guinea.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on back home,but we’re pretty far away from those distractions,” Koula said. “I’m just glad I’m playing footy at the moment and not having to worry about all that stuff.”

Seibold is not expected to take up the coaching post at Manly until after his commitments with Eddie Jones’ England rugby union side are wrapped up in mid-November.

Shane Flanagan has been in discussions with Seibold regarding an assistant role,as has ex-Titans assistant Jim Dymock.

There has been another change to the Manly brains trust after Kristie Fulton,the daughter of league Immortal Bob Fulton,parted company with the club. Kristie Fulton had overseen the Sea Eagles’ junior pathways,but has been moved on from the role. Her brothers,Scott and Brett Fulton,remain involved with the club in their respective roles in recruiting and as coach of the SG Ball side.

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