Jarome Luai is the first to admit it: he has been dethroned.
On Penrith's charge to the 2020 NRL grand final, Luai anointed himself the "chief energy officer", the man responsible for pumping the tunes, lifting the vibes and sparking the smiles at training.
But as a dynasty beckons for the Panthers, who this Sunday will contest their third grand final in as many years, Luai has passed the baton to Sunia Turuva, the Fiji international on the fringes at Penrith.
"He's the top dog in terms of energy at our club," Luai told reporters.
"He doesn't shut up that guy. He's one of those young characters who aren't scared of anyone or where they sit in terms of the pecking order."
The de facto job title is not the only similarity between Luai and Turuva.
Turuva carpools with fan favourite Brian To'o to training and the pair have struck up a close friendship, just as To'o and Luai did when they drove to work together in previous years.
The journey up the Great Western Highway from Mount Druitt to Penrith sometimes features shop talk - Turuva and To'o are crafty outside backs from the local area - and always involves R&B music on the speakers.
"We always carpool together and it's always mad vibes in there," To'o told AAP.
"He's way more energetic than me. He tops me and Romey (Luai) big time."
But there is more to Penrith's latest bromance than banter and beats; To'o and Turuva each suffered family tragedies on the road to NRL stardom.
To'o lost his sister Dannielle to cancer the day before his 10th birthday, while Turuva's mother passed away suddenly last year, only months after the family home burned down.
With only three first-grade games under his belt, Turuva often leans on To'o for advice, but the State of Origin winger says he has learned just as much from his buddy.
"He's taught me to be grateful for everything," To'o said.
"You never know when it's your last time with your loved ones so it's always good to make every second count.
"He went through things that can break people but just seeing him rock up to training, he would always come in with a smile on his face. It just shows how resilient he is."
Turuva shies away from suggestions he has taken Luai's place as the chief energy officer, but one thing he cannot deny is that riding shotgun with To'o has been an important feature of his rise to first grade.
"We're there for each other, especially in those carpools," Turuva told AAP.
"It's not just on the field. Off the field, if I need to speak to someone, he's there for me and vice versa."
