Raiders star set for sad retirement over 'tragedy'

The Raiders are all but resigned to the fact that star forward Corey Harawira-Naera will have to retire.The Kiwi Test forward hasn't played since suffering a seizure on the field in Round 13 against South Sydney.It was expected that the club would assess Harawira-Naera's future in the new year, but coach Ricky Stuart has told Wide World of Sports that officials are not optimistic."It is really sad for the kid… it's a tragedy actually," Stuart said."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."The Raiders are investigating the possibility of salary cap relief given the uncertainty of Harawira-Naera's future.While some clubs have been denied cap relief for retiring players, the Raiders are likely to be successful given Harawira-Naera's dramatic collapse on the field and long absence since then.