Returning to the New Zealand Warriors after nearly a decade away from the club, Erin Clark has revealed his reasons behind coming back and ambitions heading into the 2025 NRL season.

One of four new players signed by the Warriors for this season, Clark was originally a Warriors junior and made his NRL debut for the club before moving to the Canberra Raiders and later the Gold Coast Titans.

Five matches away from his 100-game milestone, the two-time Samoan international will return to his old stomping grounds as a like-for-like replacement for Jazz Tevaga.

Able to play at hooker and at lock, he is a defensive workhouse and is coming off another good season which saw him make 532 tackles at a success efficiency rate of 97 per cent and average 99 running metres per match.

Speaking in Warriors colours for the first time in nearly a decade, Clark revealed the reason behind his return and reflected on his previous tenure at the club, which saw him play one first-grade match in 2017.

โ€œI'm just happy to be home. I've got a couple of kids, to bring them home is pretty special for me. They've grown up in Australia, it was a big reason to come home,โ€ Clark said via the NZ Herald.

โ€œBut the footy side, the club from when I was here before, the culture has changed heaps.

โ€œWebby is building something great here. I'm happy to be part of it, and can't wait to see what we do this year.โ€

โ€œI've got a better head on my shoulders. Back then, I was quite young and arrogant, I did a bit of growing up overseas.

โ€œI feel like I'm a better person. It moulded me into who I am today. I've got three kids now, you've got people looking up to you. You've got to be a good role model for them.โ€

NRL Rd 17 - Bulldogs v Titans
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 05: Erin Clark of the Titans is tackled during the round 17 NRL match between the Canterbury Bulldogs and the Gold Coast Titans at ANZ Stadium on September 05, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Contending with veteran Dylan Walker and young gun Leka Halasima for the starting lock forward position, he admitted that he had the opportunity to pick Harris' brain and learn a ton from him before he decided to hang up the boots.

โ€œI clicked with Tohu when I came, he's definitely a good fella. I didn't know much about him, obviously I knew he was a good player," he added.

โ€œI picked his brain as much as I could. I didn't know [retirement] was coming. I'm happy I learned as much as I could from Tohu.

โ€œYou see how good he is on the paddock, the way he trains, the skillset he has. He's definitely going to be missed.โ€