- Raiders forward collapsed during last May’s match
- The game was stopped as players formed a protective ring around him
- Canberra coach Ricky Stuart said Harawira-Naera should retire
Corey Harawira-Naera has been cleared to play football again, less than a year after he suffered a seizure in the middle of a match – and just two months after Canberra coach Ricky Stuart said the NRL star would have to retire because of the confrontational episode.
The 28-year-old collapsed and convulsed on the pitch during the Raiders match against Souths on May 27 last year, with players from both sides forming a protective ring around him while he received treatment.
Harawira-Naera’s attack came while he was standing alone and was not the result of heavy contact.
Raiders CEO Don Furner Jr. later said that the medical staff discovered that three minor head impacts in that match contributed to this.
It was thought Harawira-Naera (pictured with the ball against Cronulla) would have a certainty to withdraw from the match – but shocking news from specialists has changed that
The 28-year-old shocked the footy world when he collapsed during Canberra’s match against Souths in May last year (pictured)
Physiotherapist Brien Seeney – who runs the popular NRL Physio account on social media platform
Now specialists have told the forward he can play again after having a potentially life-saving device implanted in his body News Corp.
Harawira-Naera now has a defibrillator attached internally under his arm, using the implant to detect abnormal heartbeats and correct them using an electric shock.
Premier League football stars Christian Eriksen and Tom Lockyer had the devices fitted after almost dying when they suffered a heart attack during matches.
Lockyer recently showed off his implant on social media, revealing a sizeable lump under his left arm.
The size of the device Lockyer is equipped with is not as much of an issue in football, but can be problematic in rugby league due to the constant high-level contact the players go through.
The Kiwi international is equipped with a defibrillator implant, which detects and corrects abnormal heartbeats
Anyone wearing the device must have it surrounded by padding to protect them and any opponents who tackle them.
However, according to a report in the newspaper, Harawira-Naera’s defibrillator is only slightly larger than a Post-it note. Sydney Morning Herald.
Last December, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said the lock/second rower would have to retire because of the seizure.
“It’s really sad for the kid… it’s a tragedy really,” Stuart said of the Kiwi international.
‘The medical reports we are receiving indicate that it is very unlikely that he will play again.
“At 28, that’s tough and he’s been good for us.”
Stuart added that the club are ‘supporting him and looking for a path beyond football’ as they are ‘keen to keep him in the game’.
After recovering from the attack, Harawira-Naera spoke about the effect it had on him and his loved ones.
“Giving the game away crossed my mind when it first happened,” Harawira-Naera said a month after the incident.
‘It was a shock and my family felt the same.
‘What really touched me was my five-year-old son. He saw it on TV and doesn’t want to play football anymore. Luckily he wasn’t at the game.’