Api Koroisau would be happy to come off the bench in Penrith's preliminary final with South Sydney, saying he is happy to be injected into the game with tired defenders.
Koroisau has reverted to being a bench hooker in two of Penrith's last three games, as part of a late-minute switch with regular No.14 Mitch Kenny.
The ploy was initially thought up as a way of managing Koroisau's minutes in the penultimate round against the Rabbitohs, before the Panthers saw the upside of the move.
Koroisau set up two tries in that match coming onto the field fresh, prompting Ivan Cleary to repeat the tactic again against Parramatta in week one of the finals.
Also crucial is Kenny's defence in the middle, with figures showing Koroisau misses the second most tackles of any No.9 in the competition.
And the 29-year-old Koroisau is happy to go the same way again against Souths in Saturday night's preliminary final at Accor Stadium.
"I wouldn't be opposed to it," Koroisau told AAP.
"I'm finding it great. A bit of fatigue in the game by the time I come on and I can just do what I need to do.
"Mitch Kenny does an awesome job starting the game, defensively he is so strong. So I don't mind it."
Koroisau's return to the bench was only the 15th time it's happened in his NRL career, and he hasn't done so regularly since his rookie year of 2014 at Souths.
But the hooker does not see it as a relegation.
"I'm having to do my job for the team. Ivan sees it that way and at the end of the day it works so well," Koroisau said.
"Mitch Kenny's an incredible defender and starts off the game so well.
"It was a huge forward pack (against Parramatta in week one of the finals). He really went out there and laid the foundation for me."
Koroisau also says his impending exit to Wests Tigers for next season had still not sunk in, with Saturday's match his last for the Panthers if they are beaten.
"It's probably a gift and a curse that you only live day to day. My thoughts haven't even crossed beyond this week," Koroisau said.
"It's literally just been who I've been going up as well. It's a bad thing as well, because I don't look into the future and set out my life.
"I don't plan ahead with anything. But at the end of the day, it seems to work out and I use it to my advantage to be able to stay present in footy games."
