Warriors star Tohu Harris feels for Issac Luke after family tragedy in ‘heartbreaking’ storm

Warriors captain Tohu Harris is feeling for bereaved ex-teammate Issac Luke, his family and other storm-affected people in his Hawke’s Bay home region.

Harris said on arrival in Christchurch for Sunday’s NRL pre-season trial with the Melbourne Storm that the club sent its condolences to Luke, whose father George died in hospital in Hastings after his car was struck by a slip on the Kaweka Ranges road during Cyclone Gabrielle on Monday night.

“That was tough to hear,’’ said Harris, who played with Luke at the Warriors in 2018 and 2019 and for the Kiwis.

“I can only imagine what the family are going through at this moment.’’

READ MORE:
* Why a big crowd for Christchurch’s Warriors trial could boost city’s NRL hosting hopes
* Ninth victim of Cyclone Gabrielle father of rugby league star
* Warriors’ Luke Metcalf suffers hamstring injury, Demitric Sifakula’s contract upgraded
* Kiwis coach Michael Maguire on why he turned down Eddie Jones’ offer to join the Wallabies

The cyclone hit close to home for Harris, who went to Hastings Boys’ High School before launching his NRL career at the Storm, Sunday’s rivals.

He said it had been “heartbreaking” to see the damage wrought in the place he grew up.

“It’s tough seeing pictures for what’s happening to the rest of the country, up north and especially down in Hawke’s Bay for myself.’’

Harris said his own family, who mainly live in Hastings, were “pretty fortunate’’ and had “come through pretty well’’.

“My mum and dad live pretty close to Clive where one of the bridges broke off.

“Our marae, which is two minutes from our house, is one of the Civil Defence posts that are homing people at the moment, and some of my siblings have been going over every day trying to supply what they need to help the people who have been put out by the storm.

“The stories that I heard yesterday are heartbreaking, what people have gone through and what families have had to suffer.’’

With “whole suburbs’’ flooded and close friends and family living in those areas, it was “hard not to know someone who’s affected,’’ he said.

Harris said the cyclone’s devastation would give the Warriors extra motivation to turn on a top performance for the Storm trial.

“It would be great to be able to go out there and put a smile on faces. It would be really nice to see those people smile.’’

Warriors coach Andrew Webster said the cyclone situation “puts things in perspective that rugby league’s probably not that important’’, but he hoped the Warriors could provide some entertainment and “give some people around the country that probably haven’t been going through the best of times lately’’ something positive to focus on.

He said the Warriors had tried to focus on their preparation, “but at the same time our thoughts are with everyone around the country’’.

Webster noted the Luke family’s “tragic’’ loss, and said a couple of Warriors players’ families had “been through a couple of things’’, including high winds around their Auckland homes.

“But we’ve been lucky compared with everyone else.’’

The cyclone has also been sobering for a couple of the Storm’s Kiwi contingent, who arrived in Christchurch on Saturday on a charter flight from Melbourne.

Wing Will Warbrick, a former New Zealand rugby sevens international, said his own family in the Bay of Plenty were “able to miss the worst of it’’, but he was stunned to see some footage during the week of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne.

“I have no word for it, it’s pretty eye-opening. You feel for the families that are affected.

“The team here are well aware of what’s been happening back home.’’

Former Melbourne Storm and Kiwis forward Tawera Nikau had “sent videos through, which were shown to the players, of what he was going through with the cyclone, Warbrick said.

The Storm’s Kiwis halfback Jahrome Hughes said it was “pretty devastating to see some of the situations people are going through.

“Kiwis around the world are sending our love and support and prayers to everyone who’s been affected.’’

“It might be a little thing, but just to bring rugby league here … and bring a little bit of joy to New Zealand, it’s a good thing.’’