NRL 2023 Round 13 news: Corey Harawira-Naera suffers seizure as Raiders win 33-26 over Rabbitohs

There was an immediate hush around Accor Stadium, as players formed a protective circle around Corey Harawira-Naera after he collapsed and suffered a seizure.

Corey Harawira-Naera collapses and suffers seizure in Rabbitohs-Raiders clash.

Raiders forward Corey Harawira-Naera was responsive after being rushed to hospital having collapsed on the field in horror scenes at Accor Stadium.

Play was stopped for more than 10 minutes in the second half after the Raiders back-rower dropped to the ground untouched as he suffered a seizure.

Video footage was inconclusive and struggled to reveal exactly what happened in the lead up to Harawira-Naera falling to the floor. Just moments earlier he was tackled but there were no obvious signs of a head injury according to medical staff.

Corey Harawira-Naera appeared to suffer a seizure, after collapsing in Rabbitohs-Raiders clash.

Harawira-Naera looked to the Raiders sideline after the tackle but still tried to take his place in Canberra’s line-up as they prepared for a goal-line drop out. Just seconds later he looked disorientated and spun in a circle before convulsing on the field.

An update on Corey - he's improving and feeling better and will hopefully be discharged from hospital and return home to Canberra tomorrow.

We will provide further updates early in the week.

Thanks everyone for your concern and thoughts tonight, it's much appreciated 💚

— Canberra Raiders (@RaidersCanberra) May 27, 2023

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said the images were confronting.

“They aren’t sure why the seizure occurred,” Stuart said. “They are situations that are uncommon and scary. It’s one of your mates, it makes it even harder. When it’s such a serious thing such as a seizure. It’s scary. You can’t stop thinking where is this going? It lasted a good 30 seconds. “Fortunately he was conscious coming off the field. He had great medical attention immediately.

“That’s when you see the real character of these footballers. Everyone got around it was a serious situation. A lot of care for him.”

Players from both teams quickly realised the seriousness of the situation and formed a protective circle around Harawira-Naera after he collapsed.

Players from both sides shielded Harawira-Naera from view of cameras and fans as medical staff attended to him.

Doctors from South Sydney and Canberra as well as paramedics who are at every match instantly went to Harawira-Naera’s aid.

He was placed on oxygen before being lifted onto a medi-cab. He was slowly taken from the field to a standing ovation by the crowd.

An ambulance was called and took him to hospital. Harawira-Naera’s sister was at the ground and travelled with him to hospital.

Our thoughts are with Corey Harawira-Naera, the Raiders and the entire Rugby League community after Corey was stretchered from the field. pic.twitter.com/0wLbMKbwsG

— Fox League (@FOXNRL) May 27, 2023

Raiders skipper Jarrod Croker was troubled by what he saw.

“It’s something you’ve never come across before,” Croker said. “We all felt the same as you. We did whatever we could. We tried to help out where we could. Footy was the furthest thing from our mind.

“For that whole period I don’t think anyone was thinking about footy.

“(We were) looking out for Corey, and if we could do anything.”

The game was in the balance at the time of the incident, with the Raiders leading 24-20 with 15 minutes remaining.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart gives us an update on Corey Harawira-Naera from the ground. pic.twitter.com/MBL2anM5bR

— Fox League (@FOXNRL) May 27, 2023

South Sydney scored shortly after but the Raiders came back to win 33-26.

South Sydney skipper Cody Walker sent his best wishes to Harawira-Naera.

“We go to battle on the footy field,” Walker said. “You want to hurt each other in a clean way. You never want to see a player like that. On behalf of everyone we wanted to send our thoughts and prayers to his family.”

ISAAKO’S REDCLIFFE REVIVAL CONTINUES AS DOLPHINS ROCKET TO EQUAL FIRST

—Travis Meyn

Jamayne Isaako celebrated his 100th match with a double as Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins rocketed to equal first on the NRL ladder and brought the Dragons crashing back to earth on Thursday night.

Isaako continued his brilliant Redcliffe revival, orchestrating a 26-12 win for the Dolphins at Kayo Stadium to keep the Dragons anchored to last.

The euphoria of last week’s miracle final-play win against the Roosters is long gone for St George-Illawarra after the wooden spoon favourites slumped to their eighth straight loss in Queensland.

Interim Dragons coach Ryan Carr suffered his first loss in his second NRL match against Bennett, sitting in the coaches’ box for the 902nd time.

The Dragons were rudderless without captain Ben Hunt while the Dolphins coped better without Hunt’s Queensland teammates Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Tom Gilbert, along with the suspended Felise Kaufusi.

The Dolphins were far too good for the Dragons. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

The NRL’s newcomers’ seventh win of the season puts them equal with defending premiers Penrith on a congested ladder, with coach Wayne Bennett happy to take home the points.

“I’m happy with it, you don’t have to be pretty to win, you’ve just got to get it done,” Bennett said.

“It’s always a challenge (without Origin players). It was wet conditions and we did a great job.

“We are a very adaptable team, we’ve had to be. We’ve had injuries and Origin players missing but they find a way.

“We’re only halfway (through the season), we don’t want to pat ourselves on the back or go to sleep.”

Isaako gets a second try in game 💯

📺 Watch #NRLDolphinsDragons on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/B1ijnGY1g8
✍️ BLOG https://t.co/7NtEdC0a79
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/cLu8QYTH1lpic.twitter.com/RYtEvVWval

— Fox League (@FOXNRL) May 25, 2023

ICE MAN ISAAKO

Has there been a more emphatic career resurrection this year than Isaako at the Dolphins?

Having fallen out of favour at the Broncos, and dumped to reserve grade by the Titans, the former Kiwi Test star’s career looked cooked before he arrived at Redcliffe.

But he is now one of the NRL’s form wingers with his 12 tries in 12 games and 45 goals at 80 per cent helping the Dolphins to a 7-5 record at the halfway point of the season.

Utility Kodi Nikorima was also sensational filling in for Tabuai-Fidow at fullback and the Dolphins are in the box seat to play finals in their debut NRL season.

The fairytale continues for Bennett’s Dolphins.

MILF MAGIC

Anthony Milford has shown glimpses of the form that made him the highest-paid player in Broncos history.

Milford has had some encouraging touches for the Dolphins in recent weeks and the ‘Milf’ of old was back when he sliced past Talatau Amone to score Redcliffe’s third try.

He even pulled out a crunching tackle on rival five-eighth Amone that was reminiscent of Kaufusi.

While Bennett dropped Milford to reserve grade at the start of the year, he has always had faith the former Queensland Origin playmaker had a future in the NRL.

It’s been a slow burn for Milford over the past few years, but he still has the talent to be an elite first grade playmaker and just needs to perform consistently.

Milford showed some of the skill that made him the highest-paid Bronco ever. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

DE BELIN’S DEBACLE

Jack de Belin’s controversial debut as Dragons captain ended in heartbreak.

Not only did the Dragons lose, but De Belin found himself in the sin bin and on report for an ugly tackle on Dolphins forward Ray Stone.

De Belin cannoned into Stone’s knee as he was held up midway through the first half after being previously warned about the dangerous style of tackle.

“It happened pretty quickly, I was pretty shocked to be sin-binned,” De Belin said.

“I didn’t think I went in that hard or too low.

“That’s the way the game’s going so we’ve got to live with it. It’s disappointing from my end.

“Our execution and discipline wasn’t good enough and we hurt ourselves in that sense.”

The Dragons fired up following coach Anthony Griffin’s sacking to beat the Roosters and bounced out to a 6-0 lead against the Dolphins.

But they went back to their bumbling ways, lacking energy, football smarts and defensive desire to remain on the bottom of the ladder.