The Warriors have a song they belt out after each win. It's something few have heard outside the dressing room because they tend to keep it to themselves but goes along the lines of, 'we are the Warriors'.
Players might need to drown out Nathan Friend next year. The club's
new signing says he loves music (except punk and metal) but admits he can't sing.
"If I was on Australian Idol, I wouldn't make it past the first round," he says.
It's just as well, then, he's a pretty good rugby league player. The 30-year-old was last week signed on a two-year deal, with an option for a third, and the club are hanging their hopes of him providing direction and creativity from dummy-half.
Friend is in the upper echelon of hookers, behind the likes of Cameron Smith and Robbie Farah, and regularly plays 80 minutes a game.
He's also highly durable, having made a club record 98 appearances for the Titans - 56 consecutively.
It was during lunch on Auckland's waterfront that Warriors management realised Friend was worth signing.
They already knew he was a good player but, if they had any misgivings about his age, these were allayed by what he ordered for lunch.
"It was pretty clear he looked after himself," Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said. "That gave us confidence that his age wouldn't be a factor."
It's something Friend learned in Melbourne. He completed a nutrition course when he was with the Storm and even once worked in a deli. He's a qualified personal trainer, once owned a gym and sees his future in the sharemarket when he retires.
What the Warriors are getting is a meticulous and hard-working player. Last season, he made 1120 tackles (the most in the NRL) on top of the 1067 he made in 2009 and he's been among the NRL's top-five tacklers for the past three.
With Micheal Luck also in the team - Luck was the NRL's top tackler in 2009 - team-mates might think they won't have to do much defensive work next season.
Friend also ranked third in try assists among hookers last season behind Farah and Michael Ennis and he was fourth in 2009.
He learned his trade at Brisbane, where he made his NRL debut in 2002, before playing 34 games for the Storm between 2003 and 2006. He even played in the 2006 grand final, won by the Broncos, but his game time was restricted by the presence of Cameron Smith. A move to the Titans in 2007 was an easy decision.
"It was a bonus to be associated with two of the greatest clubs," he says. "I have been taught by the best and had a fair bit of luck playing in a grand final, which is more than most get to say. To get that sort of experience is hard to bottle.
"I appreciate every game I play and the position I'm in now I'm really grateful."
Friend might have played Origin football had it not been for Smith. He was in contention last year, when Smith was injured, but the Queensland selectors opted for Matt Ballin because of his younger age.
Friend is conscious of his maturity, which is part of the reason why he looks after himself so obsessively, but also sees it as a strength.
"When you get a little bit older, the game seems to slow down," he says. "You kind of have a little bit more time than you used to. That sort of thing you appreciate because I'm a little bit wiser now.
Age was also a reason behind the switch to Auckland: "I'm at the back end of my career and I need to recharge the batteries. The best way of doing that is a change of scenery.
What better place to go than New Zealand? They have a pretty good roster and, with maybe a few inclusions, you never know what might happen.
"I thought I would be at the Titans until the end of my career but the club weren't too kind and wanted to re-negotiate [my contract]. The Warriors came forward so we thought, 'why not?'
It has also given a number of players at the Warriors plenty of warning. Lance Hohaia has already signed a four year deal with St Helens and starting hooker Aaron Heremaia has acknowledged he will probably need to find a new club at the end of the season.
Shaun Berrigan will automatically receive another year if he plays 20 games this season but the future of young rake Alehana Mara is unsure.
NRL: Club likely to sing praises of new signing
Nathan Friend is a veteran of 131 games. Photo / Getty Images
The Warriors have a song they belt out after each win. It's something few have heard outside the dressing room because they tend to keep it to themselves but goes along the lines of, 'we are the Warriors'.
Players might need to drown out Nathan Friend next year. The club's
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