No slowing down for Nathan Friend since retiring as a Gold Coast Titans NRL legend
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BUSY was always a word that could be used to describe Nathan Friend’s NRL playing style and he has not slowed down since hanging up the boots.

Friend works by day as an asset broker for 1800approved, by night as a business manager for his father-in-law’s dealership O’Brien Toyota and even does a bit of brickwork from time to time on Saturday mornings.

“And in amongst that I spend time with my two beautiful boys (Axel, 10, and Oliver, 8) and wife (Kelly),” he said.

“They are at a great age now where the world revolves around them. I get to sit back and watch them develop into little men and play sport.”

A tremendous role model, Friend is big on nutrition – as he puts it, “you can’t put a plane together with second-hand pieces” – and sees himself one day combining that field with his knowledge from 15 years of NRL footy.

“With my sporting background, I think I have a little bit to offer there,” he said.

“I’m pretty keen on the nutrition and wellbeing. I’m not sure what’s around the corner but we’ll wait and see.”

Friend has thus far resisted the temptation to chuck on the boots and play week in, week out footy in the local competition as the likes of former teammates Ash Harrison and Preston Campbell do but he still is eager for the occasional appearance.

Last year that involved six legends of league charity matches plus an end-of-year nines tournament.

He’s back in the gym with an eye on the nines again having recovered from a nasty accident in February.

“I went down to the skate park with my boys on a Sunday morning and then fell off and dislocated my ankle and broke my fibula,” he said. “So I have got screws in it. I am about eight weeks now past that and feeling OK.”

Friend captained the Titans in 2016, which proved a fitting swansong as he helped the club to their first finals appearance in six years.

FAST FACTS

Age: 37

Born: Toowoomba, Qld

NRL debut: 2002, Brisbane v Wests Tigers

NRL teams: Brisbane (1 game, 2002); Melbourne (34 games, 2003-06); Gold Coast (121 games, 2007-11, 2016); New Zealand (86 games, 2012-15).

Career win-loss: 129-113 (53.31 per cent)

■ Debuted in the famous Baby Broncos side that beat the Wests Tigers 28-14 at Campbelltown Stadium.

■ Followed Craig Bellamy to Melbourne, where he played in the 2006 NRL grand final. He had won 19 of 20 games that year before losing to Brisbane in the decider.

■ An inaugural Gold Coast Titans player, he became the first to reach the 100-game milestone for the club in Round 8, 2011.

■ Won the Peter Frilingos Memorial Award for the headline moment of the year in 2015 for his incredible backflip pass that set up a try.