'Depends if it's on track or turf': Match-winner sparks Koula v Saab debate

Sea Eagles sensation Tolutau Koula described his match-winning try against the Bulldogs as the best of his career as team-mates debate whether he or Jason Saab is the NRL's fastest player.

Koula showed his electrifying speed as he beat Toby Sexton and Jeral Skelton before stepping past Connor Tracey to put Manly in front for the first time in the 72nd minute of Sunday’s elimination final.

Remarkably, he did so after losing his right boot in a desperate attempted tackle by Tracey.

The try stunned the Bulldogs and most of the record 50,714 crowd at Accor Stadium as the Sea Eagles snatched a 24-22 win to keep their premiership hopes alive.

“It's definitely the most important try I’ve ever scored,” Koula said. “It was a bit special just to be able to put this team in the position that we are.

“We were on the back foot for a fair part of that game, but we turned it around. Running out it was pretty hostile with the drums and Bulldogs supporters, but I just looked up and I saw the sea of maroon.”

Manly play Sydney Roosters on Saturday night at Allianz Stadium for the right to meet Melbourne in the grand final qualifier after captain Daly Cherry-Evans identified how deep the Bulldogs outside backs dropped on the last tackle.

Tolu is confident that if it is run on a track, he would beat Saaby, but if it’s on grass Saaby reckons he’s got him.

Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans

Instead of kicking, the Sea Eagles shifted the ball inside their own half, with Cherry-Evans putting star fullback Tom Trbojevic through a half gap and he passed to centre Rueben Garrick, who linked with Luke Brooks before Ben Trbojevic found space.

Ben Trbojevic then passed to Koula near halfway and the speedster did the rest himself, as Tom Trbojevic stretched the defence by wrapping around on the outside in support.

“I just saw that the opposite winger [Skelton] go out to Tommy. Obviously, we are a different team with him there on the field so he just gives everyone that much confidence and just gives us the ability to play freely,” Koula said.

“There were a few times we didn’t pull the trigger on the play but the one time that we did we got the result.

“That try wasn’t the only thing that won us the game, there was plenty of other moments throughout the 80 minutes that ultimately won us the game and I think the main thing now is just focusing on next week.”

Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold said Saab was a chance of returning against the Roosters after being sidelined for the past two weeks with an ankle injury, raising the possibility of Manly unleashing the speed twins in the finals

Cherry-Evans believes Koula and Saab are the two fastest players in the NRL but wasn't sure who would win a sprint race.

“It depends whether they ran on turf or a track,” Cherry-Evans said. “Tolu is confident that if it is run on a track, he would beat Saaby, but if it’s on grass Saaby reckons he’s got him.”

Koula trained under his father Tolutau snr, who represented Tonga in the 100m at the Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Olympic Games before settling in Australia with his mother Anna, who was also a three-time Olympian.

He set a GPS 100m record of 10.58sec as a 17-year-old in 2021 but said Saab may be faster.

"Probably Saaby," Koula said when asked who would win a race between the pair. “The boys try to gee it up [a race] at training. Obviously having someone that fast, it's a good challenge at training."