How league was the remedy for Harbin's health: 'Best medicine for me'

Rugby league has always been a major part of Lionel Harbin’s life.

Since a young age, he has lived it and breathed it, whether it was through watching his father, John, as a coach or through taking to the field as a player himself.

With this passion, experience and knowledge behind him, it came as little surprise last year when Harbin took over as Central Queensland Capras head coach and helped inspire the club from a 2021 wooden spoon to their first finals campaign in 13 years.

Last year’s Hostplus Cup coach of the year, he then said he felt no pressure in trying to meet high expectations this season following 2022’s success. But 2023 has certainly thrown a lot at both the Capras and Harbin personally.

While injuries, suspensions and a new NRL affiliation have challenged Central Queensland on the field, the revelation Harbin has a cyst on his brain forced him to step away from the game he loves so much earlier this year.

Now, back at the helm as the Capras prepare to fight for a grand final spot in this week’s preliminary finals showdown with the Brisbane Tigers, Harbin shares with Queensland Rugby League the story of his year – from keeping the team on track to having to put his health first to playing for the Central Queensland community.

Rebuilding the Capras

Before the 2022 season, Central Queensland Capras had not played finals football since 2009.

They held back-to-back wooden spoons for seasons 2019 and 2021 – with 2020 cancelled due to COVID-19 – and endured many tough years of mixed results.

Harbin, who had previously been an assistant coach and an interim coach, came in as head coach for 2022 and his impact was immediate.

He said for years leading up to his appointment, the changes were happening off the field at the Capras, to change the culture and make them a stronger force, not just within the Hostplus Cup, but across all statewide competitions.

But, after he took over the reins in 2022, the results started to change on the field too.

The Capras finished fifth on the ladder and went on to play two weeks of finals footy, before bowing out after a loss to Burleigh Bears.

Harbin said his biggest goal was to get Central Queensland playing for their region.

“We’re a community team that represents our community,” Harbin said.

“We represent the people of Central Queensland, who are hard-working people. The area is built on the mining industry and farmers and that’s what we’re about.

“We want people who are willing to come here and work hard and represent the people of Central Queensland.

“We have a few PNG boys, for example, who are in our squad and if you look at their story they’re hard-working people who grew up on farms and worked very hard from a young age.

“They fit right into our region and team.”

For the Capras’ efforts last year – with Central Queensland also taking out the club championship - Harbin was awarded the 2022 Hostplus Cup coach of the year.

It could have been a lot of pressure for Harbin and his squad to back that up this season but, in 2023, they’ve been even stronger on the field.

They locked in a top four finish this season, guaranteeing themselves two weeks of finals action once again.

And while they suffered a Finals Week 1 loss – once again to the Bears – a victory over Sunshine Coast Falcons on home turf last week secured them their first preliminary final in 14 years.

For Harbin, what makes that back-up effort even more special is the challenges the team have had to overcome this year, from injuries to suspensions to getting used to the new NRL Dolphins affiliation.

“First off, it’s two completely different squads,” Harbin said of the differences between 2022 and 2023.

“We lost a fair chunk of our playing group from last year but we were able to keep some players – Jack Madden, Blake Moore, Trey Brown... they’re three of our spine.

“We lost Radean (Robinson) to Souths Logan but on the back of that we could pick up Aaron Moore, who was looking to come home and partner up with his brother. That was a really good get for us.

“Last year we didn’t really have many injuries and we didn’t have any suspensions. We weren’t getting any players back from the Dolphins so we were able to really build on our combinations and getting through that season unscathed was pretty remarkable.

“Compared to this year we’ve had injuries, season-ending as well. Our ill-discipline has also cost us throughout the year. This group has had to adapt and overcome more than last year but both years have been really good for the club.

“This year we were just aiming to build on last year. It was about the new guys coming into our squad, them understanding what we are about as a club and what we represent.

“I don’t feel the pressure in coaching. To me it’s just take it each week as it comes. That’s what I try to tell the players. We can only improve on our last performance and build on that.”

But the challenges on the field were just the start for the Capras in 2023.

Off the field, Harbin had his own surprise battle which started to arise from as early as their Round 1 win over the Tweed Seagulls.

Stepping back

The Capras’ 2023 season got off to a flying start – they claimed six straight wins to move into an early lead on the ladder.

But behind-the-scenes, things weren’t right for Harbin.

“It was probably when the season actually started… I wasn’t feeling well,” he said.

“I knew something was up and I was getting constant headaches and my body wasn’t functioning right. I could feel I wasn’t my normal self.

“I eventually went to the doctor and the first time I went, they sort of just brushed it off.

“But nothing changed and I was still getting constant headaches. The body was starting to shut down… I had no energy, I was just sleeping most of the day.

“So, I went and finally got some scans and blood tests.”

A CT scan revealed Harbin had a cyst on his brain.

A further MRI showed it was not cancerous or life-threatening – a massive relief for Harbin and his loved ones – but with the diagnosis, plus the revelation he was also struck down with glandular fever, Harbin was forced to step away from the game he loved so much.

“By the time the Burleigh game came around in the beginning of May, I just couldn’t keep going anymore,” he said.

“It is a bit of a shock when they tell you that you have something there and then you’re waiting for results and needing MRIs to confirm things.

“My doctor suggested I have some time off. That was one of the hardest things I had to do, was tell the players I had to step away for a while.

“I knew they were in good hands. We have really good staff here in (assistant coach) David Faiumu and (strength and conditioning coach) Justen Parle. I can’t thank them enough for what they did when I went away.

“I didn’t want to be letting the team down because I knew how much they put in regards to what they do each week, each year.

“It was hard but in hindsight I had to do it and it was the best thing for me.”

For Harbin, his time off involved a lot of rest and also pain management.

Nothing could be done for the cyst immediately, but he will see a surgeon in November to see if it is growing and whether or not he will require surgery.

One relief for Harbin was learning a cyst on the brain is not uncommon and a few people he knew had endured the same, with pain management and knowing when to rest the key to coping.

He was asked to stay away for one month but he didn’t quite make it the entire time.

When he took leave, it was ahead of Central Queensland’s Round 8 loss to Burleigh on May 6. He returned for their Round 11 victory over Norths Devils on May 27.

“It was very hard staying away,” Harbin said.

“I just missed it too much. I missed being around the boys and group and staff. It’s been a big part of my life so it was hard to stay away for that period of time but it was something I had to do.

“The rest was what I needed.”