- Corey Harawira-Naera suffered seizure in 2023 match
- Had to have medical device implanted for his heart
NRL star Corey Harawira-Naera has been given the green light to return to footy following an on-field seizure in 2023 which horrified his teammates and threatened to end his career.
The Kiwi international, 29, was recently informed that all medical, legal and regulatory roadblocks have been cleared in bombshell news.
It followed an incident during a match against the Rabbitohs – and at the time Raiders coach Ricky Stuart felt it was inevitable the forward was going to retire.
‘It is really sad for the kid….it’s a tragedy, actually,’ Stuart said.
‘The medical reports we are getting is that he is very unlikely to play again. That’s tough and he has been good for us.’
But fast forward to 2025 and Harawira-Naera is now plotting a remarkable second coming.
NRL star Corey Harawira-Naera has been given the green light to return to footy following an on-field seizure in 2023 which horrified his teammates and threatened to end his career
At the time of the seizure, players from both South Sydney and Canberra formed a protective ring around Harawira-Naera as he lay on the turf receiving treatment
Images of Harawira-Naera’s sudden collapse left many footy fans sickened and saddened
Should a NRL club offer a contract to Harawira-Naera, the governing body has no reason not to register it.
‘Initially when it happened, I didn’t think I’d be OK with hanging up my boots without knowing if I could play again or not,’ Harawira-Naera told the SMH.
‘It’s been a journey. To have an opportunity, I have butterflies just thinking about it. I’m ready.’
Thanks to a combination of medication and a Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD), the former Canberra star is expected to avoid any further complications with his heart.
In scenes which made plenty of footy fans squirm two years ago, players from both South Sydney and Canberra formed a protective ring around Harawira-Naera as he lay prone on the turf receiving treatment.
Seconds earlier, the backrower had collapsed to the ground, forcing the game to stop for 10 minutes at Accor Stadium as doctors rushed onto the field to treat him.
Following the incident, Raiders club medical expert Dr Greg Macleod, confirmed Harawira-Naera was ‘having ongoing tests to make sure we are not missing something serious.’
‘Raised enzymes are an indication there has been some strain on the heart. That’s why we are treating it with a bit of caution,’ he said.
‘We’ve just got to figure out what caused it. ‘If you watch the vision, it very much looks like something neurological, more than the heart.
‘He’s had a seizure but he doesn’t collapse and have a seizure, which is the usual heart story, he has a seizure and then collapses.’
