A fit and focused Mark Riddell is hoping that his switch to the blue and gold will take him from impact player to marathon man this season.
Having impressed coach Brian Smith with his trial form and commitment to training, Riddell is keen to play as many minutes as he can for his new club.
"I usually play 50, maybe 60 minutes, but if I can keep it up around 65 minutes or so, I'll be happy with that," Riddell said.
"I'm definitely hoping I'll be starting hooker. We haven't spoken about it too much (with Smith) but I'll play a similar role to what I did at the Dragons, hopefully with a few more minutes."
Riddell's arrival at the club has given Smith a plethora of hooking options at his disposal, which ironically could limit the time he gets to spend in his preferred position.
Yet the flamboyant rake said he is happy to switch to second row if it means he can contribute to the team and earn more playing time.
"We haven't really worked it out yet ... we've got a lot of options there with PJ (Marsh), myself, (former Rooster) Ian Henderson, Johnny Morris - we can all play hooker. We'll sort it out in the next few weeks," he said.
The arrival of the laid-back Riddell at the Eels raised eyebrows in some quarters, with speculation that the self-confessed prankster's personality could clash with that of disciplinarian coach Smith.
Yet it only took one run in Eels colours to convince Smith that Riddell meant business.
"Mark was so intense, I think it sort of shocked a couple of the boys around him just how hard he competed," Smith said of Riddell's first hit-out in the Eels trial against Cronulla.
"He was very intense and has been preparing very well, looking good. I'm very pleased with his progress.
"There are a lot of guys that are quiet, friendly and jovial - until they step over the white line.
"He's one of those guys. He's very intense about what he does. He's all footballer."
Riddell described his relationship with Brian Smith as "excellent".
"We've got a very good working relationship," Riddell said.
"We're bouncing some ideas off each other - the team, game plans, attack and defence and what-not. He's open to listening all the player's ideas and trying things out."
