Friend more than just a look-alike


Gold Coast Titans under-20s hooker Matt Srama could easily be mistaken for his first grade counterpart Nathan Friend

FROM a distance, Gold Coast Titans under-20s hooker Matt Srama could easily be mistaken for his first grade counterpart.

He wears the same headgear, same compression tights, even has to have both shoulders strapped like idol Nathan Friend.

But make no mistake, 19-year-old Srama is determined to carve out a name for himself.

"He is one of the best players in the NRL I think," said Srama when asked about his resemblance to Friend.

"Now Pato (Titans under-20 coach Rod Patison) has given me the opportunity to become an 80-minute player, I want to focus more on my defence like Friendy and try to up my attacking and become an all-round hooker.

"But I have been wearing headgear since I was under-6.

"I have only ever missed one game without my headgear and I played the worst game of my life.

"So I never play without it now."

Srama is one of the few players in the National Youth Competition with Queensland Cup experience, having played eight games at the back end of last year under Glenn Lazarus at the Ipswich Jets.

He has been one of the top performers for the teenage Titans this season and will play a key role when they face the Dragons at Skilled Park tonight in the curtain raiser to the NRL clash.

"Matt has been fantastic for us," said Patison.

"Nathan Friend is a fantastic model for all the boys, in terms of the effort he puts up every week.

"At the moment there is no better example in the 20s of that similar sort of work ethic.

"Playing in the No.9 I think he certainly sees Nathan as a role model and he is not doing a bad job at the moment.

"I am really pleased with his progress but I am sure his best is yet to come."

Source: http://www.goldcoast.com.au