Isaac Liu can't wait for the roar and passion of Mount Smart Stadium when he returns to his hometown on Saturday.
With the country starved of rugby league for over two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Zealand-born prop knows how special the journey across the ditch will be for the nation he's represented.
Especially with a sell-out crowd expected for the club's final game of the season.
"It's exciting going back there... no only because of the COVID restrictions (and returning), but also just going over there to play the Warriors is always an exciting game," Liu said.
"The atmosphere in the stadium is pretty up there, so that's what we're looking forward to."
Match: Warriors v Titans
Round 25 -
home Team
Warriors
15th Position
away Team
Titans
13th Position
Venue: Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
Coming off the back of a spirited home win against the Knights on Sunday, the goal for the squad is to put back-to-back wins together and finish the year of learning strong.
"It's our last game of the year, so we're looking to finish off with another good win," Liu said.
"It's definitely been a good learning year for us and we've had a lot of lessons learned.
"We got a few boys coming in next year, but it's definitely been a learning curve, so hopefully we'll be taking those lessons and putting them into pre-season."
A big season for the Titans' forward pack - led at the front by captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, the year will be topped off by Moeaki Fotuaika's 100th NRL game on Saturday, celebrating such an impressive milestone at only 22 years of age.
"[Us forwards] have been working really hard the whole year and Tino and Moey have been the standouts through the year," Liu said.
"Especially with Moey's 100th game coming up, that's a good achievement for himself and I think the boys are really looking forward to making his day a special moment."
Match Highlights: Titans v Knights
The clash has all the ingredients to be a special day for rugby league in Auckland, with the team excited for the trip abroad to finish off the season.
"It's going to be physical and the fans are going to be passionate, so it's going to be exciting," Liu said.
"I know they want to finish well and it's the same for us, so it's going to be a tough game and we look forward to it."
