Warriors coach Nathan Brown believes Chanel Harris-Tavita should be respected for his brave and unusual decision to quit the sport at the end of this year.
The 23-year-old confirmed on Monday that he was going to pursue other interests in 2023, after turning down a contract offer fromthe Warriors and despite interest from other NRL and Super League clubs.
Harris-Tavita is one of the NRL's best young halves prospects but no longer has the necessary appetite, conceding that the enjoyment has gone.
Brown admitted he has never encountered such a case – in more than 15 years of coaching – of a player voluntarily stepping away at such a young age.
Salaries for NRL play makers start at $250,000 and go up from there and Harris-Tavita has made a considerable financial sacrifice, not to mention the years of hard work to attain the level he already has.
"I'm really proud of Chanel," said Brown. "To actually turn down the money and go into, I suppose, no man's land, is a big, big decision and credit to [him] for doing what he wants to do because you just don't play rugby league just because you are good at it. You've got to want to do it."
Brown has known for a few weeks of Harris-Tavita's ultimate intentions. It was a shock – "I've never seen someone at Chanel's age do it, when his best years are still coming, he's in demand" – but he made no attempt to dissuade him.
"Anyone that tries to talk him out of it is not doing the right thing by the kid," said Brown. "It's a difficult sport to play if [you're] not mentally focused or don't want to do it.
"Chanel is really keen to finish the year off strong [and he] may play rugby league [again] and he may not but you don't want to try and convince people to do something if their heart's not in it."
Chanel Harris-Tavita. Photo / Photosport
Teammates echoed Brown's sentiments.
"It was a surprise that he is going but I am happy for him," said prop Ben Murdoch-Masila. "This business we are in does get to you sometimes and for him to come out and say that shows what type of person he is. I hope he does come back, refreshed, and ready to crack on again."
Back rower Euan Aitken described it as a "courageous" decision, reflecting a "mature approach" to life.
Harris-Tavita's countdown clock should begin this Saturday against the Newcastle Knights, with Brown confirming he is on track to return to action, after the groin injury suffered last month.
The Warriors were also boosted by an encouraging initial diagnosis of prop Addin Fonua-Blake's foot injury, which is not as bad as first feared.
Instead of possibly being ruled out for the rest of the campaign, he could return in a month.
The damage to his Lisfranc (midfoot) bone won't require surgery and he could be back running in a fortnight, after some moonboot time.
Coping without him (and the released Matt Lodge) will be the biggest challenge, though Brown was typically optimistic. He conceded that Fonua-Blake's powerful presence and capacity to play big minutes will be missed but asserted that the rest of the pack can compensate, with captain Tohu Harris playing a significant role.
On Wednesday, the Redcliffe Dolphins announced the signing of Aitken for the 2023 season.
The 26-year-old had previously gained a release from the final year of his contract, unwilling to relocate across the Tasman next year for family reasons and has now joined the expansion club.
"If it was up to just me I probably would have gone to New Zealand and seen out the contract because I do like the club, it's got some great people," said Aitken. "So there's definitely some fond memories here and it's definitely a hard decision to leave."
