NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / League / Warriors

NRL: Injury-prone Henry far from alone

Chris Rattue
By Chris Rattue
Sports Writer·NZ Herald·
10 Mar, 2016 02:16 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Warriors fans feared the worst when Ben Henry suffered a knee injury against the Tigers. Photo / Getty

Warriors fans feared the worst when Ben Henry suffered a knee injury against the Tigers. Photo / Getty

Warriors fans feared the worst when utility Ben Henry went down with yet another left knee injury. Could the 24-year-old utility's career be over before it had really started?

After returning from two reconstructions in the past three years, Henry was assisted off Campbelltown on Saturday after suffering a broken kneecap when Wests Tigers prop Tim Grant fell on him. Henry looked in a state of shock.

He will be out for at least three months, having already spent nearly two years in rehabilitation mode, but has expressed his determination to resume his career.

"I've had to overcome a lot in my life and this could just be another hurdle that I'll overcome," said Henry, among the most respected and reliable players to emerge from the Warriors development system.

While Henry's situation may seem bad, other NRL players have come back from far worse injury runs. The most famous is the one endured by the Australian braveheart Brent Tate, while the former Kiwis captain Benji Marshall had to fight past a stack of major shoulder problems.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And if Henry is looking for inspiration from closer to home in desperate times, a Warriors legend offers plenty of light at the end of the tunnel.

Awen Guttenbeil, the former backrow forward who is now a commentator, played just 32 matches in his first five seasons after a horror injury run before becoming a Warriors mainstay with 138 appearances over the next six years.

Guttenbeil told the Herald yesterday that he inherited loose ligaments which caused some of his problems. A plan was devised in which he trained with the team just once a week and from there on, his career took off. He also played 10 tests for the Kiwis and represented Tonga.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Guttenbeil told the Herald: "It was horrible to see what happened to Ben but it is just bad luck in his case You need a belief that you will get through it and I'm sure Ben will. He's already shown how strong he is by what he's been through.

"Playing for the Kiwis had always been my goal since I was a kid. That gave me the drive and ambition. I had a blind faith that one day I would get there. It gave me the strength to get around all the obstacles.

"I was riding solo so I had to really believe that I was as good if not better than all the players who could train five days a week. You have to win the battle with your mind first."

Many people believed Marshall's career was doomed so bad were his shoulder problems while Tate is a league miracle. He not only survived a shocking injury toll, but remained one of the most combative players in the representative and NRL arenas. His book Iron Will described the agonies he went through.

Discover more

League

NRL: Ben Henry likely out for season

08 Mar 03:53 AM
Warriors

NRL: Warriors sticking to their guns

08 Mar 04:45 AM
Warriors

Burgess: Warriors have simple solution to stop criticism

08 Mar 05:35 AM
NRL

Matulino says culture at Warriors is strong

08 Mar 07:05 PM

He admitted to hating the game at times, especially when his neck injury was causing so many problems. His mother pleaded with him to retire after he suffered a broken jaw.

"I hate to think what mum and my wife, Lani, have gone through," he wrote. "I almost feel sick in the stomach, thinking what I put myself through. I feel sad sometimes."

BRENT TATE (Australia, Queensland, Broncos, Warriors, Cowboys)
Career: 2001 - 2014. Tests: 26. State of Origin: 23. NRL: 229.
4 knee reconstructions
9 ankle operations
2 knee arthroscopies
Shoulder, groin and throat surgery.
Broken jaw

From 2005, played with a neck brace after suffering career-threatening whiplash.

Tate: "Part of the reason I kept going was, simply I loved playing footy. Part of it was this was all I knew. It was putting food on the table...I saw this as a test of my character."

BENJI MARSHALL (Kiwis, Tigers, Dragons, Blues rugby)
Career: 2003 -. Tests: 27. NRL: 240. Super Rugby: 6.
2 left shoulder dislocations requiring reconstruction in 2004
4 right shoulder operations including full reconstruction in late 2008 involving bone graft.
cheekbone fracture
torn knee ligament

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

From 2004 - 2009 Marshall missed 49 matches. In 2010 he received a Wests Tigers Ironman award for playing in every NRL game that season.

AWEN GUTTENBEIL (Kiwis, Tonga, Warriors, Castleford)
Career: Tests: 13. NRL: 170. Super League: 20.
2 shoulder reconstructions
knee reconstruction
broken leg
ankle reconstruction
2 hernia operations
2 bone spur operations

Guttenbeil: "I worked out that in the first five seasons, I spent more time under general anaesthetic than I did on the football field."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Warriors

Warriors

'We beat ourselves': Webster rues Warriors defeat to depleted Panthers

21 Jun 08:00 PM
Warriors

Understrength Panthers stun Warriors

21 Jun 07:34 AM
Warriors

Warriors defeated by Panthers, 18-28

Help for those helping hardest-hit

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Warriors

'We beat ourselves': Webster rues Warriors defeat to depleted Panthers

'We beat ourselves': Webster rues Warriors defeat to depleted Panthers

21 Jun 08:00 PM

Andrew Webster is confident the Warriors will bounce back next week against the Broncos.

Understrength Panthers stun Warriors

Understrength Panthers stun Warriors

21 Jun 07:34 AM
Warriors defeated by Panthers, 18-28

Warriors defeated by Panthers, 18-28

Ivan Cleary on Andrew Webster, Warriors regrets and building a team first culture

Ivan Cleary on Andrew Webster, Warriors regrets and building a team first culture

20 Jun 05:00 PM
How a Timaru mum of three budding chefs stretched her grocery shop
sponsored

How a Timaru mum of three budding chefs stretched her grocery shop

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP