The 22-year-old forward revealed he knocked back advice to have shoulder surgery following the NRL Nines in fear he would be forced out of the club with his contract expiring at the end of the 2017 Telstra Premiership.
"It was a niggle all year. I was hoping it healed itself by the end but it never did," Harawira-Naera told NRL.com.
"They said to get it done then but I knew I was coming off contract and asked them to play out the year.