Manson had not quite found the competitive groove he wanted when teaming with younger brother Karl Manson, but the new sculling team were going to have to quickly get in-sync if they wanted to match up internationally with the standard bearers of their division -- Croatia's strong crew of brothers Martin and Valent Sinkovic.
Injury prevented them from joining the rest of the New Zealanders at the World Cup 2 regatta in Varese, Italy, in June and would only give them a few weeks' preparation time for last week's world championships and a shot at Rio 2016 Olympic qualification.
Harris said the pair often got "caught in the crowd" during their heat race and then their thrilling semifinal where they fought tooth and nail with the Australian and Italian crews -- each of them well back from the fantastic Croatians.
"We built and kind of improved and used that experience.
"It's a pretty close field. Next year, it would be nice to challenge the Sinkovic brothers.
"Obviously they've been together. They were the Croatian quad for a few years.
"With Robbie, the boat goes really well and if we have a good season, we'll be competitive."
But before Harris and Manson can think about making up the 2-3 seconds in speed the Sinkovic's have on the rest of the world, there is the small matter of making sure they get to the big dance.
The cruel irony of competitive rowing is the New Zealand crews which do the hard work and qualify their nation's boats to compete in specific Olympic classes, have not yet earned the right to sit in the seat.
Manson and Harris are now Cambridge based and will be announced in the wider New Zealand squad for the 2016 season, which ends in Rio de Janeiro, in around a fortnight, beginning training once again on Lake Karapiro.
That will be followed by the national championships and final trials, and should the pair be challenged and supplanted for their spot in the double sculls, they may have to go to May's "last chance" regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, to earn Olympic tickets in another boat, like the men's four.
But Harris is fairly confident that after the world championships where they finished the final ahead of the French and Australian crews who had beaten them in the heats and semifinals, that he and Manson will take the final step.
It will be a proud August 2016 for the Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club when they are likely to be represented by Harris and AWRC's other standout export Kerri Gowler at Rio.
Harris said wherever he goes, the yellow and red loops are close to his heart.
"It's always nice to come home. Aramoho was good times. It's where I learned.
"I'm still part of the club -- race for them at the nationals. I like getting to the open days and seeing the kids.
"Driving through yesterday and seeing the damage to the club, it's sad to see."
AWRC has been working towards raising $25,000 for their insurance excess after the the June floods wrecked the inside of the two-storey building.
Harris has provided the club with a signed New Zealand team shirt to go out for auction as part of their fundraising efforts.
