Blaize Talagi will turn to predecessor Jarome Luai for guidance in forming a halves partnership with Nathan Cleary that will be vital to Penrith's hopes of a fifth consecutive premiership.
As the pair embark on Samoa's Test tour of England, Talagi revealed the decision to sign a three-year deal at the Panthers and turn his back on junior club Parramatta was the hardest of his life.
But ultimately, the 19-year-old could not turn down the chance to join a historically dominant Penrith side preparing for a vacancy in its halves following Luai's move to Wests Tigers.
"It was a really tough decision. The toughest decision I've ever made," Talagi told AAP.
"But at the end of the day, I made the right decision and I'm just looking forward to whatever faces me.
"Penrith are a club that's at the top of their game. Who wouldn't want to join them? I just want to be a part of it."
Salary cap pressure has forced a host of quality players out of the Panthers across five seasons as the NRL's benchmark, but Luai's departure has the potential for the most impact yet.
The five-eighth has been both an excellent cover for halfback Cleary amid repeated injuries and a perfect offsider, his crafty eyes-up play complementing Cleary's precise game management.
Talagi's ability to cover either the halves or outside backs positioned him as an option to replace either five-eighth Luai or winger Sunia Turuva, who also joins the Tigers from 2025.
But Talagi is hopeful of holding off challengers Jack Cole and Brad Schneider to play five-eighth alongside Cleary, despite a stellar debut season spent mostly in the outside backs.
"It (five-eighth) is where I'd like to play, for sure," he said.
"But I'm happy to play anywhere, to be honest. Whatever happens, I'm happy but I want to just work hard and earn it."
Talagi played two games in the halves early in his debut season after Mitch Moses went down with a foot injury, both ending in losses for an Eels side that eventually finished 15th.
As Talagi eyes improvement and game-winning chemistry with Cleary, Penrith's four-time premiership-winning five-eighth Luai will provide the perfect sounding board.
"Whatever I can learn from him, I will," Talagi said.
"He's got that sort of aura about him. He's just a real leader, he leads by his actions, leads by his words. I'm just looking forward to learning off him.
"When you're a six or five-eighth, you sort of look up to the top people in the game who play that position. Jarome's one of them so whatever I can learn from him, I'm looking forward to."
Newly-minted Samoa captain Luai will gladly share his words of wisdom with Talagi as the pair prepare for Tests against England in Wigan and Leeds over the coming weeks.
"He seems like a good kid, from what I've seen that he can do on the footy field," he told AAP.
"Hopefully I can bring the best out of him."
