Blake Austin's Canberra Raiders teammates have a running joke where they ask him if he ever played in the NRL before he arrived in the capital.
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He had 35 first grade games to his name before joining Canberra ahead of the 2015 season, but had only started 19 of them.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart picked up the five-eighth after he was shown the door by the Wests Tigers and Austin became an instant revelation in lime green.
Today the Tigers are in damage control as they look to retain the services of five-eighth Mitchell Moses, with new coach Ivan Cleary hopeful he will backflip on a deal with the Parramatta Eels.
Meanwhile Austin is locked in at Raiders headquarters until the end of 2018 - and he couldn't be happier about it.
"We're a very stable club down here. We're all on a very similar page, from the players to the front office," Austin said.
"We love having that stability and it helps us on the field. As players all we can focus on is our performances on the field, and I know we all want to be here for a long time so it makes it pretty easy.
"The boys actually have a joke, they ask me did I play NRL before I came to the Raiders. The club has been awesome for me and my game has really come on.
"I'm a Canberran now and really happy to be here, and happy for every opportunity the club's given me."
Sydney-based rival NRL clubs are weighing up their options as they consider making a play for outgoing Melbourne Storm halfback Cooper Cronk.
Warriors star Kieran Foran - Austin's direct opponent at Canberra Stadium this Saturday - could also make his way to Sydney next year.
But plans could be thrown into disarray with the NRL's proposed $8.3 million base salary cap for next year well short of clubs' expectations.
It's all a moot point for the Green Machine, with Austin and halfback Aidan Sezer both signed until the end of 2018.
Now the pair are focused on taking control on the field to guide the Raiders one step closer to a drought-breaking premiership.
"I think in the last few weeks we've definitely taken more ownership of the team," Austin said.
"I think the boys are relishing that and it's definitely more enjoyable for me and [Sezer]. We need to keep building and keep playing some good footy."
NRL ROUND SEVEN
Saturday: Canberra Raiders v New Zealand Warriors at Canberra Stadium, 5.30pm. Tickets available from Ticketek.
