Chanel Harris-Tavita

SEN's Greg Alexander has supported New Zealand Warriors playmaker Chanel Harris-Tavita's decision to step away from the NRL due to a diminished enjoyment in ...

Alexander said that at many stages in his career, he contemplated retirement but knew his time was done when he lost the competitive drive to train and play at the level of a professional athlete. Alexander said that Harris-Tavita has shown great courage with his decision and that if you are not fully committed to rugby league as a career, it is almost impossible to motivate yourself for game day. The 23-year-old said that he will take a hiatus from the Warriors at the end of the 2022 season and focus on travelling and writing in the hope that a break from the game will reignite a passion for rugby league.

NRL: Warriors v Knights. Where: Moreton Daily Stadium, Redcliffe When: Saturday, May 28, 5pm (NZT). Live coverage: Sky Sport 4, live updates on Stuff.

Like elite athletes at their peak, our sports journalists are highly trained in the art of news. So we're asking you to support us with more than your attention. Desperate to score its fifth win of the season, the Warriors – playing at home in Redcliffe – are effectively in a must-win situation against the Knights who sit behind them on the NRL ladder. With just four NRL wins this season and five losses in their last six outings, the Warriors must avoid a fourth consecutive loss if they are realistic about remaining in contention to snatch one of the last spots in the top eight later in the season. Chanel Harris-Tavita is back for the Warriors in a much-needed boost for the struggling club. Harris-Tavita, who confirmed on Monday that he will walk away from the club and take a break from professional rugby league next season, has been sidelined after suffering a ruptured testicle in the hefty loss to the Melbourne Storm last month.

Chanel Harris-Tavita will give the depleted Warriors a much-needed boost for Saturday's clash against the Newcastle Knights.

Since winning three matches on end, the Warriors have had just one victory in their last seven matches while the Knights have only one win in their last nine games. Captaining feeder club Redcliffe in the Queensland Cup, the 32-year-old brings extensive experience to the Warriors after a total of 169 appearances for Brisbane, Manly Warringah, St George Illawarra and Canberra. He was in the losing Raiders side in the 2019 grand final against the Roosters. After being close to returning last week, he has now been cleared to re-join Shaun Johnson in the halves for just the fifth time this season.

But powerhouse prop Addin Fonua-Blake has succumbed to his foot injury.