Cole last month followed Penrith teammates Liam Henry and Scott Sorensen in signing with the NRL's forthcoming 18th team, eyeing regular opportunities to start at five-eighth. Cole pointed to the five players signed from Penrith and Melbourne's enduringly successful systems as reason to celebrate the club's recruitment. "(Perth) is a new team, not really filling the shoes of anyone before you," Cole said. Being a bit younger, I didn't have really the tools to handle that correctly as what I do now." Cole would take a different approach if given a regular chance to start at the Bears.