NRL: Nathan Friend recalls iconic play in Warriors’ last win over Storm

Nathan Friend created global headlines with a freakish pass in 2015. Photo / Photosport

Few people remember the Warriors’ last win over the Melbourne Storm as fondly as Nathan Friend.

That’s because the Aussie hooker created global headlines when he threw the ball between his legs while doing a backflip that ultimately led to a Warriors try and a 28-14 win over the Storm at Mt Smart.

“It’s weird you make a million tackles, play in a grand final, but the one thing that sticks in people’s minds is that moment,” Friend tells the Herald.

“By the time I hit the ground and looked up, I could see the boys were one pass away from putting it down. I’m appreciative they made the tryline because it made it blow up.

“If it wasn’t a try, it might not have blown up as much. I’ll happily yarn with anyone who brings it up.”

That game took place on July 12, 2015 – 3358 days ago and since then the two teams have played 16 NRL matches, all going in favour of the Storm.

There have been some close calls in that time – including last season when Xavier Coates’ final-play try broke Warriors hearts – but there have been many one-sided affairs. In 2022, the Auckland-based side suffered their equal-worst defeat in NRL history, losing 70-10.

In total, the Storm have scored 480 points across those 16 games, compared to the Warriors’ 212.

It’s the longest active losing streak between teams in the NRL, and by some distance, with the Titans on a nine-game losing run against the Rabbitohs the second.

The last time the Warriors won in Melbourne was their 16-10 Anzac Day victory in 2014 – Andrew McFadden’s debut win as head coach.

“Crazy that it’s been that long, but shows how consistent they [Storm] are,” says Friend.

“The Warriors over the years had some great teams, but can’t put it together on the night when it’s required.”

Nathan Friend Backflip Try Assist

A BACKFLIP try assist?! This was INSANE 🤯

Posted by NRL on Friday 21 January 2022

To give context to the length of the Warriors’ dry spell: current Warriors coach Andrew Webster was in his first season as an assistant at the club; the Warriors side boasted players like Sam Tomkins, Tui Lolohea, and Raymond Faitala-Mariner; Blake Green was at five-eighths for the Storm and Nelson Asofa-Solomona was playing in his fourth NRL match.

What makes the losing streak more crazy is that the Warriors weren’t even the last team to beat the Storm in Auckland – with Wests Tigers claiming an 11-10 win in a double-header back in 2018.

This year, the Warriors snapped a long losing streak when they beat the Sydney Roosters to end an eight-game slide.

And confidence levels should be high at the Warriors as they head into the encounter fresh off a bye and riding a three-game winning streak.

After being blown away in Las Vegas by the Raiders, they’ve bounced back with hard-fought wins over the Sea Eagles, Roosters and Tigers.

But it will take a monumental performance to end the streak. Only five players who played in the Warriors’ most recent clash against the Tigers – Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Kurt Capewell, Marata Niukore, Erin Clark and James Fisher-Harris – have tasted victory against the Melbourne-based side, all playing for other teams.

Friend says he was due to be at the stadium watching two of his former sides, but after his son made a local representative team in Queensland, those plans changed.

The Storm and Warriors are third and fourth respectively in the standings, with three wins in four games this season.