New Zealand Warriors captain Tohu Harris announces immediate retirement from NRL
Warriors skipper Tohu Harris has revealed the emotional reason behind his abrupt and shock retirement call, a decision which leaves the Warriors with $500,000 to spend on plugging the vacant hole.
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Tohu Harris has sprung a new year shock with the Warriors skipper announcing his immediate retirement from the game after conceding he was “dealing with pain in every day life”.
Harris has called time on his decorated career as he struggled to make his return from a debilitating wrist injury which ended his 2024 season.
The chronic injury impacted Harris for most of last year. He played 14 games in 2024 before having an operation to repair the damage. The injury has not healed as well as he would have liked and has now forced the 32-year-old into retirement.
It leaves the Warriors with $500,000 to spend this season although the cupboard is near empty in the market place.
“I’m dealing with pain in everyday life as well as footy,” Harris said.
“My body has been feeling good in training but the reality is I can’t perform as a player with this injury.
Harris, who played 16 Tests for the Kiwis, will leave a huge hole in the Warriors squad off the back of fellow veteran Shaun Johnson’s retirement at the end of last season.
He split his 234 NRL game career evenly between the Storm and the Warriors after making his NRL debut in 2013.
Harris made his mark at the Storm where he was part of their 2017 grand final win against the Cowboys in what was his final game for Melbourne.
He then became a key signing for the Warriors where he entrenched himself as not only one of the game’s best players but one of the best leaders in the competition.
Warriors boss Cameron George described the news as “shattering”.
“We all feel for him having to end his career this way but it will never take away from the exceptional contribution he has made to the club in every way through his deeds on the field and off it,” George said.
“I’m indebted to him for the amazing work he did to rebuild the team during the tough times when we were isolated in Australia for three seasons.”
Coach Andrew Webster added: “You really don’t know how good a player is until you’ve coached him. I’d admired Tohu from afar throughout his career but when I returned to the club I got to admire him even more every day.”
Harris’ retirement makes the arrival of Kiwi Test skipper James Fisher-Harris even more important. Fisher-Harris will now shoulder the leadership load alongside the likes of Mitch Barnett, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Kurt Capewell and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
Dylan Walker made the lock position his own in the final months of the season in Harris’ absence.
Originally published as New Zealand Warriors captain Tohu Harris announces immediate retirement from NRL
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