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NRL's best buy becomes the Warrior he was built to be - National Indigenous Times
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Erin Clark carries the ball for Warriors for whom he has become one of NRL's buys of the season. (Image: John Davidson/AAP PHOTOS)
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<p>Erin Clark could prove the NRL's buy of the season, but even the Warriors lock didn't realise what he was selling when he left Gold Coast for Auckland last summer.</p><p>One of the unassuming stars of the club's run to second on the ladder, Clark's return to the Warriors has been one of the feel-good stories of 2025.</p><p>An Auckland junior now in his second spell at the club, Clark has found a home in Tohu Harris' old No.13 jersey at the Warriors.</p><p>The 27-year-old is surely one of the buys of 2025, rivalling Terrell May at Wests Tigers and Savelio Tamale from this week's top-four opponents Canberra.</p><p>But Clark's story is even more remarkable when considering he'd been a bench forward playing bits of dummy-half for the Gold Coast since 2020.</p><p>"When I was at Gold Coast, I was trying to be a player I wasn't," Clark said.</p><p>"I was trying to be that flashy player. I'm built as a player that's just got to go forward and create momentum.</p><p>"I was a halfback growing up, and coming off the bench, you come on to try and change momentum.</p><p>"It takes you a while to get a feel of the game to start using the ball-playing skills."
</p> <p>The player Clark is at the Warriors appears the one he was always meant to be.</p><p>Initially granted a release from the Titans to move back closer to family in Auckland, Clark was first picked up as a Jazz Tevaga replacement.</p><p>Then Harris was forced into a medical retirement in the off-season and crafty bench utility Dylan Walker also left.</p><p>It prompted Clark to not try and replicate any one of the trio, instead becoming his own mix of the three while playing the biggest minutes of his career.</p><p>Clark is averaging 159 metres and 34 tackles a game this year, still with the ability of a ball-playing lock but with a preference of getting through work in the middle.</p><p>"Here starting, I get a feel for the game and I know when to pass, when to just run, when to get momentum," Clark said.</p><p>"I'm 30kg heavier than when I was a halfback, so I've got to use that somehow.</p><p>"Last year, I had trouble with my calf, so I spent a lot of time in the gym. I found that helped me gain weight.
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<p>"I put around 7kg on. I'm still learning how to carry that."</p><p>The other factor that cannot be ignored is that Clark is one of several Warriors in career-best form under Andrew Webster.</p><p>Prop Mitchell Barnett is back in the 💙 Mighty NSW Origin side after debuting last year, halfback Luke Metcalf has had a breakthrough 2025 and hooker Wayde Egan is flying.</p><p>"It just shows when someone has belief in you, they get the best out of you," Clark said.</p><p>"Webby and everyone here has showed me that.</p><p>"It's nothing outrageous or anything. They give me the right to just be myself and play my footy."</p><p><strong>Scott Bailey - AAP</strong></p></div>
<p><span>
Erin Clark carries the ball for Warriors for whom he has become one of NRL's buys of the season. (Image: John Davidson/AAP PHOTOS)
</span>
</p><div>
<p>Erin Clark could prove the NRL's buy of the season, but even the Warriors lock didn't realise what he was selling when he left Gold Coast for Auckland last summer.</p><p>One of the unassuming stars of the club's run to second on the ladder, Clark's return to the Warriors has been one of the feel-good stories of 2025.</p><p>An Auckland junior now in his second spell at the club, Clark has found a home in Tohu Harris' old No.13 jersey at the Warriors.</p><p>The 27-year-old is surely one of the buys of 2025, rivalling Terrell May at Wests Tigers and Savelio Tamale from this week's top-four opponents Canberra.</p><p>But Clark's story is even more remarkable when considering he'd been a bench forward playing bits of dummy-half for the Gold Coast since 2020.</p><p>"When I was at Gold Coast, I was trying to be a player I wasn't," Clark said.</p><p>"I was trying to be that flashy player. I'm built as a player that's just got to go forward and create momentum.</p><p>"I was a halfback growing up, and coming off the bench, you come on to try and change momentum.</p><p>"It takes you a while to get a feel of the game to start using the ball-playing skills."
</p> <p>The player Clark is at the Warriors appears the one he was always meant to be.</p><p>Initially granted a release from the Titans to move back closer to family in Auckland, Clark was first picked up as a Jazz Tevaga replacement.</p><p>Then Harris was forced into a medical retirement in the off-season and crafty bench utility Dylan Walker also left.</p><p>It prompted Clark to not try and replicate any one of the trio, instead becoming his own mix of the three while playing the biggest minutes of his career.</p><p>Clark is averaging 159 metres and 34 tackles a game this year, still with the ability of a ball-playing lock but with a preference of getting through work in the middle.</p><p>"Here starting, I get a feel for the game and I know when to pass, when to just run, when to get momentum," Clark said.</p><p>"I'm 30kg heavier than when I was a halfback, so I've got to use that somehow.</p><p>"Last year, I had trouble with my calf, so I spent a lot of time in the gym. I found that helped me gain weight.
</p>
<p>"I put around 7kg on. I'm still learning how to carry that."</p><p>The other factor that cannot be ignored is that Clark is one of several Warriors in career-best form under Andrew Webster.</p><p>Prop Mitchell Barnett is back in the 💙 Mighty NSW Origin side after debuting last year, halfback Luke Metcalf has had a breakthrough 2025 and hooker Wayde Egan is flying.</p><p>"It just shows when someone has belief in you, they get the best out of you," Clark said.</p><p>"Webby and everyone here has showed me that.</p><p>"It's nothing outrageous or anything. They give me the right to just be myself and play my footy."</p><p><strong>Scott Bailey - AAP</strong></p></div>