He's had a taste of Origin last year, he's been in career-best form, and he's surrounded by teammates from his dominant club side.
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Everything is pointing towards Isaah Yeo making his presence felt in this year's State of Origin series.
The St John's junior and Group 11 product will start at lock on Wednesday night when the Blues and Maroons kick-off this season's series at Townsville.
Yeo played two matches for Brad Fittler's Blues last season and started on the bench on both occasions.
This time he starts and is part of a strong Penrith Panthers contingent in the team alongside halves Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai, winger Brian To'o and hard-running forward Liam Martin, who will enter the match from the bench.
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If the Panthers' core can replicate their club form on the big stage - the only match Penrith has lost this season came last week when Origin players were unavailable - the Blues will prove difficult for the Maroons side to stop.
Yeo is expected to showcase his skills at Origin level much like he does with Penrith, with his days at five-eighth during his junior days at St John's and Dubbo CYMS helping him develop into one of the game's leading locks in recent seasons.
"It's been a pretty remarkable rise," Blues assistant coach and former NRL premiership winner Craig Fitzgibbons said of Yeo to NRL.com.
"But he looks to me that he has found a home in the middle. I just think that he has got the balance of being able to play as a hard middle and roll the sleeves up, but he has also got the ability to pass the ball in good circumstances.
"He doesn't overplay his hand but he still uses the ball well, he has got a big motor and defensively he is rock solid. He is a good humble kid, he works hard, he trains hard and there is no bullshit with him."
Coach Fittler has already said in the lead-up to the match passing and creating opportunities in attack is a real focus for him.
That also points to Yeo being heavily involved while fellow forwards Payne Haas, Jake Trbojevic, and Junior Paulo also possess silky ball skills for big men.
If the forward pack is able to produce offloads then it is likely the Blues' attacking weapons in the backline, headlined by fullback James Tedesco and Latrell Mitchell, could thrive.
Kick-off in Wednesday's match is scheduled for 8.10pm.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
