When he returns to the NRL pitch, Warriors half Chanel Harris-Tavita will be wearing a unique piece of equipment.
The 23-year-old Warriors half has been out of action since the side's 70-10 loss to the Melbourne Storm, after copping a stray knee from teammate Josh Curran below the belt andsuffering from a testicle rupture just before halftime. He went on to play the remainder of the match.
After undergoing surgery to repair the injury, Harris-Tavita has been working towards a return. Initially setting his sights on the Warriors clash with the Newcastle Knights in a week, he was named on the extended bench for this weekend's match against the St George Illawarra Dragons, giving him a chance for an early return if he is deemed fit.
In building towards his return, Harris-Tavita has worn a protective cup akin to a cricket box to avoid reaggravating or causing further damage to the injury, and is expected to be required to wear it during games immediately upon his return.
"I'm not sure how comfortable or uncomfortable that is – it's been a long time since I've worn one, myself – but that's the way it's got to be," Warriors coach Nathan Brown said of the young half's situation.
"I'm not sure whether that's for a week or eight weeks or what it is, but that's what he's training with and that's what he'll play with in the shorter term."
With Harris-Tavita on the sidelines, recently recruited stand-off Daejarn Asi has been thrust into the action immediately and made a good account of himself.
Rushing into the starting side for their one-point win over the Canberra Raiders three weeks ago - just four days after joining the club - Asi impressed on debut and has continued to make strides in a Warriors jersey.
It will give Brown a hard decision once Harris-Tavita is cleared to play, however Asi has spent time in the centres during his tenure with the North Queensland Cowboys and that could be an option should the club want to keep both men in the starting line up.
Asi has again been named in the No 6 jersey for Saturday night's match against the Dragons in Sydney, as the Warriors look to get one back against the club after dropping their meeting in round one.
