NZ Kiwis forward Corey Harawira-Naera is facing retirement from rugby league at just 28-years-old, after suffering a seizure on-field in round 13 of the NRL earlier this year.
In May, the Canberra Raiders second-rower was hospitalised after he collapsed on-field against South Sydney Rabbitohs, before he was discharged in a stable condition.
Harawira-Naera didn't play again in 2023, as team medical officials tried to understand what triggered the incident.
And while it appeared that last season had been written off to allow Harawira-Naera to return at full fitness with a proper pre-season under his belt in 2024, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart revealed the Auckland-born forward's career could be over.
"It is really sad for the kid... it's a tragedy actually," Stuart told Channel Nine. "The medical reports we are getting is that he is very unlikely to play again.
"At 28, that's tough and he has been good for us, but we are supporting him and looking for a pathway for him after football.
"We would like to keep him in the game and in the club."
Should Harawira-Naera be forced into medical retirement, the Raiders could apply for salary cap exemption from the NRL, to cover his contract through to its 2026 expiry.
So far, Harawira-Naera has played 122 NRL games across stints with the Raiders, Penrith Panthers and Canterbury Bulldogs.
At test level, he was capped three times for New Zealand in 2019, and twice for the Māori All Stars.
