Warriors bosses have rolled out the red carpet for All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu, giving him free rein to train with the squad as often as he likes.
The instantly recognisable Lomu appeared at Warriors training from time to time during the 2007 season and was a regular fixture in the dressing room after home games.
During the week, Sunday News witnessed him going through the pre-season motions with the Warriors squad at Mt Smart Stadium and director of football John Hart said Lomu would always be welcome.
"He wants to keep fit basically. He loves the Warriors and he went and watched them a lot last year," said Hart.
"He trained a bit with us last season so he's doing no more than he was doing earlier in the year.
"He's running with them and enjoying it I think."
Lomu made contact with the Warriors through his former All Blacks coach and Hart said the benefits of having such a high-profile athlete on the paddock were not lost on the players.
"One of the tragedies that I see with Jonah is that New Zealand rugby hasn't really used him," said Hart.
"He's a legend overseas. You only had to be at the World Cup to see whose face was the face at the World Cup all the time it was Jonah.
"He's so professional and just having him around the guys with the aura he rubs off is just tremendous."
Lomu's name has been linked to Russell Crowe's South Sydney Rabbitohs for next year's one-off Charity Shield clash against the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Negotiations appear to have stalled in recent weeks and Hart said he was unsure of his former star winger's next move.
"I don't think he's on any set programme at all. It's over to him and he's welcome to come and train with us whenever he wants to come along at the moment," said Hart.
"I think he's just trying to keep fit to give himself options to think about.
"I don't think he's made any decisions on what he's doing really.
"It's really about doing a bit of fitness work to keep himself trim and I'm not sure what he's going to do."
When asked whether fans could expect to see Lomu in a Warriors jersey in the near future, Hart had little to say.
"I think that's way out there," he joked.
The instantly recognisable Lomu appeared at Warriors training from time to time during the 2007 season and was a regular fixture in the dressing room after home games.
During the week, Sunday News witnessed him going through the pre-season motions with the Warriors squad at Mt Smart Stadium and director of football John Hart said Lomu would always be welcome.
"He wants to keep fit basically. He loves the Warriors and he went and watched them a lot last year," said Hart.
"He trained a bit with us last season so he's doing no more than he was doing earlier in the year.
"He's running with them and enjoying it I think."
Lomu made contact with the Warriors through his former All Blacks coach and Hart said the benefits of having such a high-profile athlete on the paddock were not lost on the players.
"One of the tragedies that I see with Jonah is that New Zealand rugby hasn't really used him," said Hart.
"He's a legend overseas. You only had to be at the World Cup to see whose face was the face at the World Cup all the time it was Jonah.
"He's so professional and just having him around the guys with the aura he rubs off is just tremendous."
Lomu's name has been linked to Russell Crowe's South Sydney Rabbitohs for next year's one-off Charity Shield clash against the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Negotiations appear to have stalled in recent weeks and Hart said he was unsure of his former star winger's next move.
"I don't think he's on any set programme at all. It's over to him and he's welcome to come and train with us whenever he wants to come along at the moment," said Hart.
"I think he's just trying to keep fit to give himself options to think about.
"I don't think he's made any decisions on what he's doing really.
"It's really about doing a bit of fitness work to keep himself trim and I'm not sure what he's going to do."
When asked whether fans could expect to see Lomu in a Warriors jersey in the near future, Hart had little to say.
"I think that's way out there," he joked.
