Huddersfield Giants' Paul Whatuira: Time to put nightmare behind me

Nov 30 2009 by Peter Barrow, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Paul Whatuira

RECOVERING Huddersfield Giants rugby league star Paul Whatuira is desperate to put a nightmare time behind him and look towards a positive future.

The 28-year-old New Zealand Test centre, known to his team mates as Fatz, spent several weeks in a secure mental health unit in Bradford during October after suffering what still remains something of a mystery illness.

He was sent to Bradford after initially being admitted to St Luke’s Hospital in Huddersfield where he broke out on his first night and went on to injure two men in unprovoked attacks shortly after.

Although he was arrested by police, all charges were subsequently dropped because of Whatuira’s illness at the time.

And having now been cleared to resume his Super League career with the Giants, the 16-times capped Kiwi international has spoken for the first time about his desire to get his life back on track, and the support he has received from everyone associated with the Giants and his pregnant partner Vanessa, as well as expressing his remorse at the attacks on the two men.

“Where I was last month wasn’t a good place to be,” he admitted.

“I was sick, I was very ill. As I said, it wasn’t a good time in my life, but I believe I’m now getting back on my feet and things are starting to look good again.

“I still don’t know exactly what the cause of the problem was, but I’ve now been given the all-clear to carry on with my career, and I’m enjoying the pre-season training and hoping for a big season next year.

“But even though things are looking well for me, I’m still very remorseful when it comes to the two victims for what I did.

“I just wasn’t myself and not aware of what I did, and for that I’m just so sorry. I’m sure they’ve both been through a lot too, which I deeply regret, but I was sick and not in a good place.”

Although Whatuira is now back training full-time with the Giants, he admits the illness means his fitness isn’t as good as he would have wished.