Former Warriors and Kiwi coach Brian McClennan says Konrad Hurrell's career has hit a crossroad and he fears the big centre will look back at his playing days with regret.
Hurrell has been hit with a three game ban from the NRL judiciary after the Warriors decided not to contesta contrary conduct charge for a knee-raise which left Anthony Tupou of the Sharks with a broken jaw. It is the latest mishap in the 23-year-old Hurrell's career, which is falling well short of huge expectations.
McClennan, a players' coach if ever there was one, said the only advice he could offer was for Hurrell to train smarter.
"I love Koni, he is so good, and a lot of other people do as well," said McClennan, who helped create the dominant Kiwi era when his team crushed Wayne Bennett's Australia in the 2005 Tri Nations final.
"I believe his potential is so amazing that he can end up being ranked alongside our great Kiwi centres, like James Leuluai and Dean Bell.
"But unfortunately he has reached a crossroad...I'm reminded of the quote that there is no greater burden than unfulfilled potential.
"His career really has stalled. Life is not a dress rehearsal - it's the real thing. Will there be regrets? There should be if it keeps going this way."
Hurrell made his first grade debut under McClennan in 2012, stamping himself as a power back like no other. But his career has progressed in fits and starts, blighted by weight issues, a sex tape scandal, on-field errors, injury and now a contrary conduct charge despite previous warnings.
McClennan said Tupou contributed to the severe injury by putting his head in a dangerous place, but Hurrell's knee was about 15 cm higher than it legally should be.
One of the attributes which made Hurrell so lethal was his ability to get on the front foot and the knee raise was part of the way he drove himself forward but he needed to keep that within the rules, McClennan said.
"Koni is a good trainer and I'll go out there with this considering some of the incidents, but he is a person of very good character," said McClennan.
"The other players love having him around and he really gets stuck in at training. But he needs to learn from his coaches, train smarter and with more discipline. That's what the great players do.
"He has trouble with his carries and you'll often see both points of the ball - a teddy bear carry. You'll see players across league and union who all carry the ball so much better. He's got to learn to fix those things and while the coach will be working overtime, in the end it comes down to Koni. "He is like Olsen Filipaina - so quick and strong and gets on the front foot. When players tackle him it's like hitting a rock. He could become one of the great centres in history but unfortunately at the moment it looks as though it is not going to be."
