Brett Phibbs/Photosport
Chanel Harris-Tavita picked up an MCL injury in Friday’s game against the Storm.
Chanel Harris-Tavita faces a race against time to play one more game in the NRL before he walks away from the sport, while Jazz Tevaga is unlikely to play again this season.
Warriors interim coach Stacey Jones said on Wednesday that it has been confirmed as a medial collateral ligament injury in Harris-Tavita’s knee which will sideline him for around a month.
Given that there are only five games left in the season, it is possible that the 23-year-old has played his last game for the club.
“He has done his MCL, so that’s a three to four-week injury,” Jones said.
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“We’re hoping that Chanel is going to get back out on the field before the end of the year.
“Certainly, from where he was after the game, to where he is now, he’s feeling a lot better.”
David Neilson/PHOTOSPORT
Jazz Tevaga has likely played his last game this season.
Harris-Tavita wants to explore other things in life at the end of this league season and has chosen to give up footy for an indefinite period.
Given what he’s meant to the club over the past four season, it would be a cruel way for him to bow out, but that’s become a possibility with his latest injury.
In his absence, Jones chose to go with Wayde Egan at five-eighth for Saturday’s game against the Rabbitohs. Preferring the specialist hooker to the club’s young halves Daejarn Asi and Ronald Volkman.
“I know we’ve got other options there with Daejarn Asi, who played a couple of weeks ago,” Jones said.
“But there are parts of his game that he needs to get sorted more, based around defense.
“It was more a case of Wayde did a really good job and I also thought Freddy Lussick did a pretty good job, he was very brave in the middle with his defence.
“We then get an opportunity to give Taniela (Otukolo) an opportunity to come on the bench.”
While Egan will wear the No 7 jersey this weekend, it won’t be a long-term option for the club, especially as Te Maire Martin and Luke Metcalf are joining the Warriors next season, to add to the club’s halves stocks.
“It’s a week-to-week thing for Wayde,” Jones said.
“He’s an out-and-out hooker, but he’s a very smart player that can do a job in the halves.
“I thought the way Reece (Walsh) played at the weekend, they both complimented each other really well and Shaun (Johnson) with his kicking game was pretty spot on.
“So the balance of those three worked really well for us on the weekend and a week of training together is going to make them better.”
As for Tevaga, Jones says the shoulder injury he picked up against the Storm last week is expected to rule him out for the remainder of the season.
“He had scans yesterday,” Jones said.
“Hopefully in the next few days they’ll work out whether he needs to have an operation or not, but it is unlikely he’ll play again for us this year and Jazz is going to be a massive loss for us.”
Meanwhile, the Warriors have announced former Hull FC, Wakefield and Leeds head coach Richard Agar will join the club next year as one of their assistants.
“Richard has tremendous experience in top level coaching and will add huge value to our coaching team,” Warriors CEO Cameron George said.
“He’ll provide terrific support for our new head coach Andrew Webster in his role alongside his fellow assistant coaches Stacey Jones and Justin Morgan.”