Warriors recruit Wayde Egan is settling in comfortably in his new 'hometown' of Auckland, where the biggest - and most welcome - surprise to date has been the agreeable weather.
"I'd only been over here once a year to play footy and it was normally pouring with rain," Egan said.
"But I've ventured out and seen the sights, and I'm really starting to like it. The weather's actually been not too bad so far, so hopefully that keeps up.
"It's a bit of a change from Western Sydney, but I've loved it so far. All the boys have been really welcoming."
The 22-year-old was brought into the Warriors fold on a three-year contract to bolster their stocks at hooker, where they've been plagued by injury in recent seasons.
Egan's path to consistent first-grade play at the Panthers was set to be blocked by Api Koroisau's return and the Warriors approach was timely.
With Nathaniel Roache expected to be sidelined until Round 10 and Issac Luke now a St George Dragon, the starting hooker job at Mt Smart is well and truly up for grabs.
"I saw there was a bit of an opportunity here, with Issac Luke leaving. The Warriors reached out to me and they liked the way I played.
"I thought my style of footy - playing off the back of some boys with good leg speed and some power with quick plays of the ball - could help me play my best footy."
While Egan recognises that fellow Australian Karl Lawton is the current frontrunner for the job, he's clearly up for the challenge.
"I definitely want to try and lock down that No.9 jersey sometime during the year.
"[Lawton] has been playing some good footy at training, so it will be a bit of a battle between me and him.
"But wherever I need to fit in with the team, with the bench or whatever, I'll try and get my job done."
Egan progressed through the junior development pathways at the Panthers to make his NRL debut in 2018, after starring at U20 level.
He's confident he has plenty to offer the Warriors, particularly through his highly touted running game.
"Explosiveness out of dummy half," Egan replied, when asked what he'd bring to the side. "I'm a bit of a runner, so hopefully I can bring that to the table.
"Also a bit of leadership, helping the boys get around the park and helping the halves here, try to build my combinations.
"I know the boys lost a few games by one or two points last year, so hopefully I can help with closing those out."
Egan hasn't had the chance to show his full wares on the pitch yet, with surgery in early December limiting his participation during pre-season.
Coach Stephen Kearney estimates Egan is about a month away from full-contact training, but he certainly likes what he's seen so far.
"Wayde's been fantastic," said Kearney. "He's just started to really get back into it.
"He helps people around him look good, because he creates time and space for them. I think he'll be a real asset for our footy club."
The Warriors will play the first of their pre-season fixtures against the Melbourne Storm in Palmerston North on February 22.
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