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.

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

Is he a Tevaga without the penalties?

 

[Rich102]

A step up on Jazz. He can pass!

 

[Matua]

So, I'm a bit uncomfortable that this is a signal that the little man style bench is going to continue. JFH is going to be working his ass off next year.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

So, I'm a bit uncomfortable that this is a signal that the little man style bench is going to continue. JFH is going to be working his ass off next year.

Few big bodies available - JFH, Maiu'u, Barnett, Ale, Sifakula is a big guy, etc. OK, some of those guys aren't natural props necessarily, but I don't know if we'll lack for size when you also add in Halasima, Niukore etc.

 

[Matua]

Few big bodies available - JFH, Maiu'u, Barnett, Ale, Sifakula is a big guy, etc. OK, some of those guys aren't natural props necessarily, but I don't know if we'll lack for size when you also add in Halasima, Niukore etc.

I'm not talking about specific players, we usually play a small man bench. It paid off for us last year, but not this year.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

With the current HIA situation you have to have a bench with plenty of minutes in it, Clark fits that mould.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I'm not talking about specific players, we usually play a small man bench. It paid off for us last year, but not this year.

Yeah, I guess I was saying we have enough troops to ensure that doesn't have to be the case.

My guess is JHF Egan Barnett Niukore Capewell Harris then Clark (can cover hooker?) Ale Maiu'u/Sifakula Halasima. The starting pack are largely big motor guys who can play big minutes (although I think mother time has got Harris) then a bunch of big-bodied impact guys, and Clark who is a ball player/can cover hooker/is a bit smaller (although in the limited time I've seen him, seem to impact the line pretty well).

 

[Big Marn]

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.

ticks a few boxes in terms of maximising his talent. 26 going on 27 in age and 92 games played.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

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.

For sure, I'm just a bit surprised that we've forced out one hooker/undersized middle forward, and replaced him with pretty much his closest equivalent in the competition. I guess it makes it very clear that we were not "moving on from Jazz" as in a Jazz-style player, but rather that we were specifically moving on from Jazz.

I could understand moving on from a scrappy undersized forward to go in search of a genuine middle, replacing him with another scrappy undersized forward is not quite the step forward I was expecting.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Clark (can cover hooker?) Ale Maiu'u/Sifakula Halasima. The starting pack are largely big motor guys who can play big minutes (although I think mother time has got Harris) then a bunch of big-bodied impact guys, and Clark who is a ball player/can cover hooker/is a bit smaller (although in the limited time I've seen him, seem to impact the line pretty well).

I'd have to disagree. That whole bench is pretty much converted mobile backrowers, not a genuine "big man" on it. Clark obviously, Ale is a nuggety backrower playing as an undersized prop, Sifakula is a recently converted backrower who seems to have spent his whole rehab in the gym, Halasima is a centre/backrower. Maiu'u is is the most genuine prop there but even he is in the Ale/Afoa, shortish, nuggety and mobile mould.

If you want to get into the nitty gritty, I'm not sure there's a a guy on that bench legitimately over 6 foot tall. They all fit with a certain body type Webster seems to go for.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

I'd have to disagree. That whole bench is pretty much converted mobile backrowers, not a genuine "big man" on it. Clark obviously, Ale is a nuggety backrower playing as an undersized prop, Sifakula is a recently converted backrower who seems to have spent his whole rehab in the gym, Halasima is a centre/backrower. Maiu'u is is the most genuine prop there but even he is in the Ale/Afoa, shortish, nuggety and mobile mould.

If you want to get into the nitty gritty, I'm not sure there's a a guy on that bench legitimately over 6 foot tall. They all fit with a certain body type Webster seems to go for.

Is it something picked up at the Ivan Cleary school of coaching, as Ciraldo is running a similar model at the Dogs with the likes of Mann, Salmon etc