Nathan Brown went from quarantine on Sunday to Mount Smart Stadium's main stage on Monday as he officially launched his tenure as the Vodafone Warriors' new head coach.
He timed it perfectly, completing his two-week isolation stint just hours before stepping out onto Mount Smart No 1 for the first time as a friend rather than the foe he had previously been when either playing for the Dragons or coaching St George Illawarra and Newcastle.
While it was a big day for the ex-Dragons hooker, it was a low-key opening day to the Vodafone Warriors' 2021 preseason campaign.
The players who performed so admirably during the Covid-19 affected season weren't on hand; they return to training on a staggered basis in the coming weeks.
A small group of players was present for Brown's first session in charge including just two players with NRL experience in prop Bunty Afoa and former Sydney Roosters halfback Jayden Nikorima, who is on a train and trial contract; Afoa missed the entire 2020 season after having surgery for a knee injury.
While Brown and some of his staff began preseason training in Auckland today, a handful of the club's Australia-based players kicked off in Kiama in southern New South Wales.
- Before flying to Auckland for his two weeks in quarantine, Brown sat down with Sky Sport's Daryl Halligan for a two-part interview.
