With 55 days remaining until the 2025 NRL season Warriors coach Andrew Webster has a job to do: replace his captain.
Tohu Harris informed the club on Thursday he would be retiring from the NRL with immediate effect after surgery failed to repair a wrist injury that sawhim sidelined for the second half of last season.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB, Webster was prepared to share a small part of the communication between himself and his now former skipper prior to Harris’ announcement became public.
“It’s been as always between Tohu and myself very good, I’m very grateful for that relationship. Tohu midway through last year was like most great leaders and most great players playing through a wrist injury.
“I think we all acknowledged at the time that he needed to take a break. He had a rest, came back and it didn’t get any better, it got worse.
“We were all excited to get Tohu back pain-free and it hasn’t happened that way so we just communicated along the way and I said this Tohu myself, this is the bit I will share, I said ‘I’m really upset to hear it, it’s quite emotional, but I’m not surprised’ I actually know what he’s going through.”
What Harris was going through was described simply by Webster as “pain” – pain and an inability due to his damaged wrist to perform simple daily tasks like picking up his son.
“Not what anyone would want in the world, let alone someone whose trying to play 80 minutes of rugby league at the highest level,” he said.
The task of replacing Harris is two-pronged. You must replace not only one of the Warriors’ greatest captains and a 117-game servant, but one of the premier lock forwards in the game and someone nearly unmatched in their on-field tenacity.
On the captaincy side of the equation, Webster said he and his coaching staff are looking for someone willing to accept the honour first and foremost, with training and general manner around the club being clear indicators of aptitude for the role.
Tohu Harris and Andrew Webster at the 2023 Warriors awards night. Photo / Photosport
“Not everyone wants to be that. Do they have the respect of the players? Are they going to be a great leader? The players are in scenarios every day where you see resilience, you see what their peers think of them, you see the way they lead on a daily basis.”
The Warriors coach confirmed that while every player was respectful of Harris and his legacy, there had been those that had said “it would be an honour to lead the club” and step in to the role should they be called upon.
“There’s definitely an element of: ‘If you need me to do this’.”
Replacing Harris in his role as a lock is a simpler question; is Webster happy with his current stock or does the club look elsewhere?
Webster acknowledges that while there are those already in Warriors colours that have pedigree in the position, like the recently signed former Warrior Erin Clark, a like-for-like replacement for Harris simply doesn’t exist.
“We’re just going to take stock, make sure we don’t rush into anything, be really calm, see what’s out there and then make a decision.
“There’s only one Tohu Harris... we understand there’s a hole there but also excited that someone could fill it.”
Clark, Dylan Walker and youngster Leka Halasima seem the clear options at lock with Webster pointing to the communication skills of Walker and Clark in particular.
“We’ve got Dylan Walker, we’ve got Erin Clark, Erin Clark played for New Zealand this year, he had a great year at the Titans... we’ve got options there.
“Does a young guy like Leka step up? He can play back row, Leka, so he’s not necessarily a lock but I think the thing that Tohu brings is organisation. He’s very clear and calm in the middle... we’re not asking anyone who’s not ready to fill that void.
“From a football point of view, no one’s going to be Tohu, but they’re going to be themselves and if they’re the best version of themselves then that’s going to be awesome for our club.”
The Warriors have until the 30 June deadline to register the final player in their top 30, with round one of the NRL season requiring at least 20 committed players. The Warriors head to Las Vegas to open the season against the Canberra Raiders on 2 March.
Will Toogood is an online sports editor and golf reporter for the NZ Herald. He enjoys watching people chase a ball around on a grass surface so much he decided to make a living out of it.
