Huddersfield Giant star Paul Whatuira out of mental health unit and back in training

Nov 12 2009 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Huddersfield Giant star Paul Whatuira out of mental health unit and back in training

TROUBLED Huddersfield Giant Paul Whatuira will soon be back in action with the team.

The 28-year-old has spent time in a specialist mental health unit after he was arrested by police investigating attacks on two men near Huddersfield town centre.

But the Examiner can exclusively reveal today that the New Zealand international will be back for rugby league pre-season training with Huddersfield Giants next week.

Head coach Nathan Brown has revealed that the New Zealand Test centre will join the rest of the Giants’ Super League squad for the start of official training on Monday.

Whatuira’s playing future had been cast in doubt when he was arrested last month after two men were attacked in Longroyd Bridge.

It is understood Whatuira – nicknamed Fatz by his teammates – was being treated at St Luke’s Hospital in Crosland Moor at the time, but had left the hospital shortly before the incidents.

Police took the player to a mental health unit in Bradford after his arrest, but a spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police has confirmed Whatuira was released on October 26 and that no further action will be taken against him.

Although the former Wests Tigers star in the Australian NRL underwent a series of tests during his time in Bradford, it remains unclear what sparked such a dramatic change of behaviour.

But Giants chief Brown did reveal earlier in the year he was worried about a series of headaches Whatuira was suffering and which caused him to miss a couple of Super League fixtures.