It's taken the Melbourne Storm only a few months of the pre-season to discover why.

King is yet to don the predominantly purple jersey of his new club but that hasn't stopped him making an eye-catching early impression down south. At the Storm's notorious army boot camp, which all newcomers to the club have to go through, King joined elite company by being awarded the coveted 'iron bar' as best performed player.

The likes of Dale Finucane, Tim Glasby, Brandon Smith and the Knights' current assistant coach Rory Kostjasyn are among a host of past winners. King described it as "the hardest thing I've done".

"Really tough but the camp was something I was looking forward to from the moment I first signed," he said. "It's a rite of passage for every Storm player because everyone has to do it. I just saw it as a real opportunity for me to gain respect."

Mission accomplished. But not before completing 44 hours of physical and mental torture without an ounce of sleep. It included group-oriented activities, hours of walking and running carrying 15kg packs, a silent march in the middle of the night for a couple of hours and standing guard for hours on end.

"It was all about effort and resilience and your ability to keep fighting through it all I suppose so it was pretty satisfying to finish with the iron bar because that was definitely the goal for me going in," he said.

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While it will be strange for Knights fans to see King in anything other than red and blue, the Singleton junior says he is excited about the opportunity he's been given at the NRL powerhouse.

"I'm loving it and been made to feel really welcome," he said. "I haven't had a heap of time with a lot of the older blokes because they were only back at training a few weeks ago but there is a great atmosphere there."

Asked about the club's remarkable success and whether he has a gauge on just how they do it year after year, King said: "It's one of the main things I'm wanting to know the answer to because I'm so keen to fit into that Melbourne Storm mould and get in on that success.

"It's early days but probably the biggest thing I've found so far is how they simplify the game. They simplify your role and what you have to do and just make it really clear. That's the biggest thing I've noticed so far. A lot of people that care deeply about the club and have had success in the past are still involved too and are bringing that winning culture through.

"There's also that very strong mentality around effort and what you put in, you'll get back from the club. Craig [coach Bellamy] is really hands on and making sure everything is done right and pulling blokes up when need to be. It's been great."