Veteran player Reni Maitua moves into Toronto Wolfpack front office

“I’ve certainly been through the very highest of highs but also the lowest points in life. I don’t need a degree to share my own personal triumphs and failures.”

Maitua has been open in the past about dealing with depression and thoughts of suicide. He worked with the Australia’s National Rugby League on player welfare and took a counselling course while in England.

Maitua, who scored two tries in eight games wearing Toronto colours, quit England’s Leigh Centurions at the end of 2016 to take up a career in boxing. The backrower previously played more than 150 NRL games with the Canterbury Bulldogs, Cronulla Sharks and Parramatta Eels, where he served as captain.

He also played for Featherstone Rovers and Salford Red Devils in England.

Maitua was brought in by Toronto as cover for fellow Australian Cory Paterson, who has now recovered from a hand and wrist injury. Maitua’s move to the front office opens up a roster spot for Paterson.

“With Cory’s return to fitness last week the time for Ren to step over the line and into a new exciting role within our off-field team has now arrived,” coach Paul Rowley said on the club website.

The Wolfpack currently top the second-tier Betfred Championship with a 10-1-1 record compiled entirely in Europe while Lamport Stadium, their Toronto home, gets a new artificial playing surface.

The team is scheduled to arrive in Toronto on Tuesday in advance of Saturday’s game against the slumping Swinton Lions (0-10-1). With Lamport still unavailable, the match will be played at Fletcher’s Fields north of the city.

The Wolfpack will then return to England for three more games before kicking off a string of eight games at Lamport on June 9.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Veteran player Reni Maitua moves into Toronto Wolfpack front office

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