'Pretty close to retiring': Barnett's path from spinal surgery to Origin debut

NSW debutant Mitchell Barnett has revealed how close he came to retiring last year as he battled a recurrent neck injury. 

The Warriors hardman underwent surgery for a damaged disc in 2020 however the issue returned early last season and walking away from football emerged as a genuine possibility. 

With a growing family, Barnett recognised he had to consider factors beyond his personal ambitions when weighing up the best path forward.

Ultimately the forward opted for one last attempt at salvaging his rugby league career and he hasn't looked back.

"I was pretty close to retiring," Barnett said. "My eldest son was just over 12 months old. We were over [in New Zealand] and I was in a lot of pain. 

"Some of the advice I was getting from surgeons was probably pushing me [towards retirement]. Once I got over the initial decision [and was told] that I was safe to play rugby league, that changed my mind in an instant. 

"You always want to be able to play with your kids. That's what I was thinking about at the time but once I spoke to the surgeon and he said it was safe to play rugby league, it was all good. 

Barnett's journey to State of Origin has been a long one, with the 30-year-old toiling away in the NRL for almost a decade before finally receiving the opportunity to play for his state.

The Taree product started his career at the Raiders in 2015 before moving to Newcastle a year later and ultimately joining the Warriors last season. 

Barnett freely admits he has made plenty of mistakes along the way and recognises it took him some time to mature on and off the field. 

The middle forward has taken his game to another level since moving to Auckland and played a key role in the Warriors' charge to last year's preliminary final. While the club has struggled for consistency this season, Barnett has led from the front and his stats are up in every key category. 

The 30-year-old is averaging more running metres, more tackle breaks and more tackles, while missing fewer tackles in 2024. 

Many have pointed to a six-game suspension in 2022 for striking Penrith's Chris Smith as the trigger for Barnett's turnaround, but the forward said his attitude had started to shift before that incident.

"It actually wasn't that incident," he said. "It looks like that because of what's happened since then, but it was happening before then. I don't want to create any conflict, but to go to a club and have a coach who believes in me and really love what I bring to the table helped as well.

"The other thing is having kids and finally wanting to grow up and mature. My wife is always there through thick and thin, good and bad. I just didn't want to be known for that.

"I felt like I always had more to give to the game. That's why getting out of my comfort zone was the main one. [Warriors coach Andrew Webster] and [CEO] Cam George have been unbelievable.

"They believe in me. I have given them a reason to believe in me as well. I am just extremely grateful that my feet have made me land where I am. That's why you're seeing the best version of me."

Barnett has been in the Blues set up before, but this time it's different. 

The forward has been in the extended squad on multiple occasions however he has never been selected in the 17 and Wednesday's decider will mark the first time he's featured in a State of Origin contest. 

It's the biggest match of his career and Barnett is looking forward to soaking it all in at Suncorp Stadium but he's determined to ensure he prepares as he would for any game of football.