Coming from a couple of towns where a general store and petrol station were pretty much it, Corey Harawira-Naera and James Fisher-Harris weren't used to people from outside their villages of a couple of hundred people. And they were surprised by how their accents would be received.

"It was a big change for me and 'Fish'," NRL rookie Harawira-Naera said. "It was more the language and people didn't really understand how we talked so that was pretty hard. You wouldn't believe it, but that was [an issue].

"I get flak when I go back home and all my cousins are on to me about [my accent]. I've got to drop deeper.

"[Fisher-Harris] just mumbled and everyone was looking at me to try to translate what he was saying. He's all right now, but he's still probably a bit fresher than I am."

The eccentric Harawira-Naera - who has moulded his own try celebration dance that involves a dose of twerking - and ultra-shy Fisher-Harris are closing in on playing their first NRL game together for the Panthers after the former's emergence under Anthony Griffin this season.

Fisher-Harris' bone-rattling hits have made their mark on the NRL, but Harawira-Naera's story has been one of a little more perseverance from his tiny home town of Waimamaku.

"There's not many people and everyone knew everyone," Harawira-Naera said. "You couldn't get away with anything.

"The school had about 100 kids from five all the way through to 17 to 18. We never had PlayStation and were always jumping in the river, jumping off the bridge, jumping out of trees, climbing trees."

Given there was no rugby league in the area, Harawira-Naera and Fisher-Harris played junior rugby union together on occasions in representative teams while harbouring a desire to one day pull on a Warriors jumper.

That was until they were identified by Penrith and whisked across the Tasman to be set up in Panthers House.

It finally culminated in Harawira-Naera's try-scoring debut against the Knights in front of friends and family from New Zealand and he has kept his place since leading into the visit of premiers Cronulla to Pepper Stadium on Sunday.

"There was a few of them here and I wanted them to come over, but Mum was the main one," Harawira-Naera said. "It was pretty cool as it was her birthday as well and it was a pretty good birthday present for her.

"I didn't realise it was her birthday until the day. I was counting on [my debut] being her present.

"I can't argue because I never really thought I would be playing first grade at any stage this season. I've surprised myself by staying there as well. I've just got to get on with it and play as good as I can wherever I am."

Harawira-Naera and Fisher-Harris remain close to former Panther Elijah Taylor, who took them under his wing when they arrived from New Zealand.