Penrith rookie Harry Seijka is hoping his giant second-rowers can protect him on his NRL debut, after North Queensland coach Neil Henry revealed the 19-year-old playmaker would be targeted on Saturday.

Seijka will face the fourth-placed Cowboys after regular five-eighth Travis Burns was ruled out with a broken hand, and Henry promised he'd be given a rough ride at Dairy Farmers Stadium.

"We haven't got any specific plans, if he's in the line and we can find him we'll find him, but it's the same as any team tries to target the halves," Henry said.

"I think he'll be nervous and we'll try and give him a warm welcome."

Seijka, who has spent the last six weeks playing in the NSW Cup to prepare for life in the NRL, admitted he had trouble sleeping this week after being told he was in the side by caretaker coach Steve Georgallis.

"I have been sleeping, but the quality of it hasn't been great, it is all I have been able to think about, but as soon as kick-off comes around I'll be alright, but I am very nervous at the moment," Seijka said on Friday at Sydney airport.

Georgallis is confident the diminutive playmaker has the ability to cope with the step up to first grade, and backed Trent Waterhouse and the big-hitting Nigel Plum to keep him safe.

"It they want to target him then they will have to handle Plum and Waterhouse," Georgallis said.

"Plum is a good hitter and not much gets past Waterhouse.

"Harry has gone really well in the under-20s and has played a few (NSW Cup) games for Windsor against grown men.

"He's going to have his hands full against a team in the top four, but I am looking forward to seeing him play."

Seijka revealed he had spoken to his forwards about taking care of Cowboys behemoth Tariq Sims who is carving out a reputation as one of the best forwards in the game.

"They probably will target me, Tariq Sims plays on my side and that will be fun, he has been putting a few blokes in hospital so I am looking forward to that!," he said.

"I have spoken to Trent about looking out for me. He's a big stick so hopefully he can get around and rough them up and Plummy can venture onto my side as well.

"But I have played in the halves for all of my junior career, you do get a fair bit of traffic coming at you but you learn to cope with that.

"It is going to be a lot easier having blokes like Waterhouse and Plum inside to help you out and Jenko (Michael Jennings) outside is pretty good, so it should be fun."

Seijka has been highly-rated by the Panthers coaching staff for some time but admitted he may never have made the plane to Townsville after almost mistaking a phone call from the club's general manager Phil Gould this week as a prank from one of his teammates.

"Gus rang me on Thursday, I thought it was a gee up and it was one of the boys, and I nearly told him to get stuffed!," he said.

"It was a good job I didn't otherwise I wouldn't be here now, he wished me the best of luck and told me to play my own game, it was good to hear from him."

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