The blue and golds will be hitting the road, so to speak, over the next couple of seasons while their beloved 30-year-old venue undergoes a $300m redevelopment. When the giant fixer-upper is complete, the grand ol’ girl will carry the name Western Sydney Stadium.

The Parramatta Eels have been through tougher things than a stadium move over recent seasons. Scott and his team-mates are keen to put their stamp quickly on ANZ Stadium, at which they’ll be playing most of their home games in 2017 and 2018.

“We’ll simply make it our new home for the next two years,” Scott tells Inside Sport. “That’s the way we’re going to look at it. Pirtek’s a great stadium, a great atmosphere. But we have to get on with the job at hand. We will really make a home of ANZ.

“We have great fans and, realistically, Homebush isn’t that far away from Parramatta. It’s not going to be an issue; our fans travelling and throwing their support behind us.”

Scott, about to play his second season at Parra, has established himself as one of the most destructive and feared forwards in the National Rugby League. He settled in well at the blue and golds through 2016 after stints at Cronulla, the Dragons and Newcastle. The rugged 32-year-old, who stands at just over six feet tall and 100kg, has clocked up 220-plus NRL games as well as 11 State of Origin appearances in the sky blue.

Among the hardest hitters in the game, he’s expecting his commitment to the cause to rub off on his fellow players in his new role as co-captain alongside Eels favourite son and fellow veteran and forward Tim Mannah.

“I don’t really use a lot of words; it’s more about leading by example and then setting it,” Scott says of his co-captaincy plans. “You can’t really ask people to do things you’re not willing to do yourself. That’s the way I look at leading and being a leader at the Eels.

“We’ve had a really strong pre-season. We’ve bought wisely over the off-season, bringing new players to the club. It’s an exciting year going forward. Obviously being named captain at the start of the year for the 2017 season is a great privilege to have, along with a lot of responsibility.

“I’m looking forward to co-captaining with Tim, who has been at the club a long time, and us helping each other out along the journey.”

The Parramatta Eels will take on the Penrith Panthers in a trial match at Pepper Stadium on February 18, before opening their NRL campaign against Manly on a Sunday afternoon at Brookvale (March 5). They’ll host premiers Cronulla in their first home game at ANZ Stadium on March 25 at 7pm in round four.