When Erin Clark inked a two-year contract extension to remain a Gold Coast Titan until the end of 2025, he celebrated with a play date together with his young family at a local park in Pimpama.
It's where the dynamic forward calls home now, and being able to spend time with four-year-old Joel and one-year-old Alya-Elise alongside partner Elizabeth tops the list of his favourite things to do, alongside playing the game he truly loves.
But for two years, this simple life pleasure was not available to the 24-year-old due to border closures as a result of the worldwide pandemic.
In Australia to chase his rugby league dream, the proud family man worked hard to become the player he is today, with his loved ones front of mind inspiring him every single day.
"With COVID, they were based back in New Zealand, so I didn't get to see my daughter for two years," Clark said.
"They mean a lot to me and everything I do is for them like I always say. Just to have them here, it makes life a bit easier.
"To be away from them for two years, it was definitely something that I didn't realise took a toll on me until they actually came back. My performance kind of dropped a bit too [when they were away].
"To have them here and to have a sense of security is definitely helping me with not just with footy, but with life in general.
"But it doesn't stop there. I just want to keep getting better and hopefully learn more and more."
During that tough two year period - not just for Clark but for everyone - was the Gold Coast club, there to offer as much support to him as possible, and the fact the Titans are just one big family is another reason why he wanted to remain at the club, and hopefully for many more years after this new deal.
"It was definitely something I took into perspective when I re-signed here... the way they looked after me and my family," Clark said.
"I've always said they mean the world and to have that support around the club for my family and to show that they care in that sense is definitely something that caught my eye.
"I want to be a Titan for life just from these first two years. The way they've looked after us, I'm definitely grateful for.
"The money side of things didn't really come into it. It was just making sure my family were secure and we can find a place here in the Gold Coast and my kids have a place to call home.
"Wherever they go in the world, they can always come back here to this beautiful place and they got a room that's theirs and they've got somewhere to call home."
It's a timely recommitment as he prepares to run out for his 50th appearance in the sky blue and gold against the Manly Sea Eagles this Sunday, fired up to break the string of losses and make his community proud.
Match: Titans v Sea Eagles
Round 22 -
home Team
Titans
15th Position
away Team
Sea Eagles
10th Position
Venue: Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
"I think just for us and our community, our fans and everyone that believes in us... we want give them that [win]," Clark said.
"We haven't won since Round 10. We've got the team, we just need to put everything together.
"Hopefully we can definitely get off the bottom by the end of the year, that's definitely a goal of ours."
It'll also be a chance to impress incoming playmaker and New Zealand teammate Kieran Foran, who Clark can't wait to have around the club next season.
"In the New Zealand camp, he was saying he watches every game that we play and you can tell. His footy brain is unbelievable... he goes 'oh, you need to do this and you need to do that'," Clark said.
"Just to listen to him and hear what he has to say about what we can work on and the things that go behind the scenes that he doesn't have to do. Like he sits and studies our games, and then having to worry about Manly, so that's pretty cool.
"It just shows us how enthusiastic he is to get here and we're definitely going to be in good stead when he arrives here on the Coast."
Bring the whole family along for a Sunday Funday against the Sea Eagles at Cbus Super Stadium - get your tickets now.
