Erin Clark

[Big Marn]

Explosive ball runner Erin Clark looks set to rejoin the Warriors from the Titans next year and will play a key part in the club’s campaign for the 2025 NRL season.

Sources close to the club have revealed to Stuff that he will be given a release from the final year of his contract at the Gold Coast to return to the team where he started his NRL career.

However, the Warriors did not respond to requests for comment.

The 26-year-old Clark played one game for the Warriors in 2017, the round two fixture against the Storm when he replaced Simon Mannering for seven minutes at lock.

Later that season he requested a release from his contract to join the Raiders, but without ever playing a game for them, he returned to New Zealand for a couple of years.

However, he was to revitalise his NRL career with the Titans in 2020 and has been a regular in their side ever since.

Clark is the son of Silver Ferns great Temepara Bailey. On Monday it was announced that Bailey will leave her role as coach of the Gold Coast Titans in the Queensland netball competition and take charge of the Stars in the ANZ Premiership next season.


Stuff understands Clark will be joining her in the move from the Gold Coast to Auckland.

It’s believed Warriors coach Andrew Webster will be looking to use Clark as a lock, although he’ll also be an option at prop.

Stuff understands his deal with the Warriors will be for multiple years and the 26-year-old is being looked at as a long-term replacement for club captain Tohu Harris.

The 32-year-old Harris is signed through to the end of the 2025 season, there is speculation he may decide to hang his boots up when his contract ends.

While Clark does not have the physical presence of Harris, he is considered a hard-hitting player who is able to use his pace to get around defenders.


The Auckland-born Clark has played 92 games in the NRL, so should reach the 100-game mark for the Warriors early next season.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I've seen minimal amounts of Clark, but he looks like an upgrade on Jazz with a slightly bigger frame, better ball skills, similar passion and maybe the same penchant for getting carried away?

 

[Big Marn]

I've seen minimal amounts of Clark, but he looks like an upgrade on Jazz with a slightly bigger frame, better ball skills, similar passion and maybe the same penchant for getting carried away?

yeh i was thinking hes a jazz replacement, not a harris replacement, contrary to what the article is predicting.

 

[Izz]

So Jazz to Titans, then?

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Yeah I came here to say that this guy is basically Jazz Tevaga but that appears to have been covered. Perfectly decent signing but seems like a sideways move really.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Getting him at a good time, he’s a player who’s taken a while to hit his potential but I’ve been really impressed with him this year.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Yeah I came here to say that this guy is basically Jazz Tevaga but that appears to have been covered. Perfectly decent signing but seems like a sideways move really.

Pretty good bench option, possibly at a reasonable price? I would imagine (no insight) that league clubs have tiers of players, and they need to identify who does a job at each tier. Ie the marquee player tier (RTS, Tohu at his peak, AFB, JFH etc) then the next tier who are good players who could become top-tier (SJ post Sharks, Barnett, CNK) another tier of good honest players who can do a role and be NRL standard (TMM, CHT, arguably Egan when he came), then maybe a fourth tier of local guys who are NSW Cup players who can challenge for FG spots (Leaitaua, MGT, Lussick etc) and you need to plan your salary cap around those. Erin Clark would no doubt fall in the third category.