But this weekend they will line up as opponents.

The duo will face off in the touch rugby league Country Championships, to be held at Dalton Park this weekend, with Fien playing for the Wollongong men’s over 30s team and Soward representing Wagga Wagga. 

While Fien has had a sizable involvement in touch rugby league in the region for a number of years through his children, the competition marks his first representing Wollongong as a player and he’s looking forward to coming up against his former St George Illawarra teammate. 

“It’s interesting, I haven’t come up against professionals in touch and to come up against the old mate Sowie,” Fien said. “The last time we played together was back in the Dragons, so it was a very long time ago now, but Sowie’s got a lot more experience in touch than what I do.

“I’m looking forward to catching up, getting out on the field and seeing how he’s travelling. It’s always good to catch up with your old teammates, especially one you’ve won premierships with.”

An Illawarra Rugby League premiership winning-coach with Thirroul before moving to Collegians, Fien returned to Thirroul to contest the first edition of the Illawarra Premier Touch League. 

The competition established an elite touch rugby league competition in the Illawarra and Fien has credited it for helping prepare the Wollongong side for the Country Championships.

“It’s helped us with the combination side of things, a lot of the guys hadn’t played together before. Playing in this division it’s just a matter of getting time on the field together, developing those combinations and hopefully putting it all together in the Country Championships.”

Fien’s men’s over 30s team is one of seven Wollongong sides to feature at the Country Championships, with the association’s men’s and women’s opens teams considered leading contenders. 

With so many teams competing, the association is gunning for the club championship trophy and Wollongong Touch Association vice-president Tim Robinson is confident they will be celebrating a successful tournament on Sunday night. 

“Wollongong and Doyalson are the two major teams in the men’s opens division,” Robinson said. “They’re both filled with Newcastle NRL Touch stars, so I’m sure those two sides will be facing off in the grand final, as they have done in the past five years. 

“Doyalson have had the wood over Wollongong over those last five years, so Wollongong will be hoping to have one back.”