Vatuvei ready for fresh start

The desire to keep playing at the top level still burns bright for Manu Vatuvei but the departing Warriors star admits the mental strain of the past 12 months has left him ready for a fresh start.

After 13 years and 226 games at the club, Vatuvei confirmed he would be leaving Mt Smart for Salford in the UK this week after being granted an early release from his contract.

ith a club record 152 tries, the most of any Kiwi in the NRL, Vatuvei is regarded as one of the Warriors’ greatest ever players, alongside Stacey Jones and Simon Mannering. However, the last two seasons have not gone to plan for the ‘Beast’.

Last year, he was suspended for three games before being granted medical leave following his involvement in the prescription pills and energy saga, while he has played just 53 minutes of first grade this season following a run of knee and calf injuries.

There is no doubt the injuries have taken a toll but Vatuvei is confident his body can still stand up to the rigours of playing in the NRL. However, the opportunity for a new challenge in the Super League was too good to refuse.

‘‘With everything that I’ve been going through for the last 12 months I think this was the right opportunity for myself to start fresh,’’ Vatuvei said.

‘‘I was still struggling a bit mentally but physically I was feeling good and wanted to carry on so I thought it was the right call to move on.’’

While Vatuvei was contracted at the Warriors until the end of the 2018 campaign.