Knights fullback Lachie Miller has opened up on his disastrous blunder against the Sea Eagles which saw Haumole Olakau’atu score untouched in bizarre fashion.
The 28-year-old Sevens convert has been one of Newcastle’s best players after making an off-season move from the Sharks, but delivered one moment he’d love to forget.
Olakau’atu charged through the Knights line in the 3rd minute, with only Miller to beat to open the scoring in Mudgee.
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The Knights fullback clearly lost his bearings, defending on the dead-ball line before the bustling backrower simply grounded the ball at his feet without being challenged.
Fox League’s Matty Johns explained Miller was advocating for a new rule to be introduced that states fullbacks don’t have to tackle backrowers, especially those the size of Olakau’atu.
“You want to bring in a new rule I know, that if a backrower makes a break you don’t have to tackle him, you can just let him score,’ Johns said.
“I spoke to Peter V’landys and he obviously was considering it.”
“If you actually watch it, I am actually letting him know where to score just in case he didn’t actually know,” Miller said.
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Fox League’s Nathan Hindmarsh was bamboozled watching the replay and asked what was going through the former Olympian’s head.
“Honestly, I’ve got no idea,” Miller replied.
“Have you seen the size of Olakau’atu? I wouldn’t want to tackle him either,” Fox League’s Bryan Fletcher said.
While the joke was clearly on Miller, he initially thought Olakau’atu had made a huge mistake by grounding the ball on the 10-metre line and even laughed at his opponent.
“I thought he’d stuffed up to be honest, I thought this bloke has just put it down 10 metres short,” Miller said.
“And then I looked around and thought, ‘oh, this is not good’.”
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Hindmarsh also revealed Miller got a lift home from Johns after both his sons, Cooper and Jack, faced off for the first time.
Miller didn’t pull any punches and said the drive through the NSW countryside was simply “terrifying”.
“I didn’t really want to say anything because I was pretty happy to get a lift home, but I was terrified,” Miller said.
“His driving skills aren’t the greatest are they,” Fletcher said.
“Trish (Matty’s wife) have me the front and said ‘I’m going to have a lay down in the back’ and I was sort of like holding on.
“I tried to have a nap and every (few minutes), (he went) hey, hey… talking about his young blokes, he spoke about the grand final he won a few times.
“Hey Lachie, I’m right here brother,” Johns replied.
