Following in the footsteps of two of their rugby league heroes, the Warriors' new "Hair Bears" will let the locks fly again this season.
Agnatius Paasi and Leivaha Pulu have returned home to Auckland following stints with the Gold Coast Titans.
Both wear their hair smartly tied up and well kept off the field. But when they step on the playing arena, the signature loose-flying mops are set free and coupled with their bullocking charges, it makes them a scary sight for defenders - and crowd favourites among the fans.
"It honestly doesn't get in the way as much as people think, I don't even notice it anymore," Pulu said.
"It has been tempting to cut it at times but this is me, it's part of who I am now. I've held it close to me for a long time. It keeps me humble in a way and Agnatius too I think."
Paasi and Pulu are not the first Kiwi forwards duo to rock the locks.
The original "Hair Bears" of Joe Galuvao and Tony Puletua were once one of the most feared forward pairing in the NRL.
Throughout the early 2000s Galuvao and Puletua terrorised opposing packs with their rugged mops and damaging runs, to be integral members of the Penrith Panthers' march to the 2003 premiership.
"We used to watch those two running around for Penrith back in the day and they were just so much fun to watch," Pulu said.
"They will always be the originals, always, but it's nice to even be compared to them. Me and Agnatius are just over here now trying to make a name for ourselves."
Paasi, 25, is returning to where his footy career first started after making his debut for the Warriors in 2014 before a switch to the Titans.
"Me and Leivaha, we just feed off each other's energy both on and off the field," Paasi said.
"We have bible studies before a lot of our trainings and stuff like that just to get us through the week so it's been great having him here."
They will run out for the Warriors in their first trial this Saturday against the Melbourne Storm at Rotorua International Stadium.
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