Friend becomes foe at Skilled Park

Nathan Friend was everyone’s friend during his five seasons on the Gold Coast but he’s in for a new experience in Robina on Saturday night.

Friend in name and nature, he will find out what it’s like to be a foe at Skilled Park when he lines up as an opponent at his old home ground for the first time.

The 31-year-old Toowoomba-born hooker has already faced his former team-mates this season, relishing a 26-6 win on a wet Saturday night at Mount Smart Stadium on March 24.

It will be all so different this weekend when he returns to the place he has called ‘home’ for the longest period during his 145-game career spanning four clubs.

Friend was able to make only four appearances in his final campaign with the Titans last year but during his 100 appearances with the club he made a habit of inflicting misery on the Vodafone Warriors when they played at Skilled Park.

On Saturday night the Vodafone Warriors will again be relying on their Friend to steer them around against his ex-team mates as he makes his second appearance since returning from eight weeks on the side line after breaking his jaw against Brisbane on May 5.

Friend revelled in his 10th appearance for the Vodafone Warriors, scoring the critical try of the contest in the 68th minute to set the side up for a valuable 35-18 victory.

As well as his first try for the club, Friend piloted the team with his slick dummy half work, handling the ball 90 times in his 61 minutes on the field as he made 72 metres from nine runs, came up with three tackle breaks and made 29 tackles (only Elijah Taylor topped his tally with 36).