The son of Penrith legend Mark Geyer made a long-awaited NRL debut in the Panthers' 22-16 defeat of the Sydney Roosters on Thursday night.

The 23-year-old came on to a cheer from the Allianz Stadium crowd, backed by a healthy contingent of family and friends in the northern stand.

In an emotional week leading to Geyer's debut, much was made of his chance to follow in his father's footsteps, and the weight on his shoulders of living up to his legacy.

The elder Geyer played 135 games as one of Penrith's toughest-ever forwards, while his uncle Greg Alexander captained the side to their drought-breaking 1991 premiership triumph.

But the younger Geyer feels no pressure.

"To me, it's not about making a name for myself," he said.

"I'm so glad that I have the last name Geyer, and live on the legacy that my father and my uncle paved. And to do it at this club is very special.

"This is a credit to my father and my uncle that I've got as much help as I did because I'm just a player that made his debut.

"And if they're not the person they were and if they didn't have the legacy they did, then I'd just be a regular player. So it says a lot more about them than me."

Mark Geyer presented Mavrik with his jersey pre-match in an emotional moment for both father and son. But the elder Geyer has encouraged his son not to follow too closely in his footsteps.

"He definitely tells me to 'do what I say, not what I do'," Geyer joked about the difference in his father's era of rugby league to his.

Geyer cited his fellow back-rowers Scott Sorensen, Liam Martin and Luke Garner as well as co-captains Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo as key elements of his journey to representing the Panthers at elite level.

"I'm learning off everyone and different aspects of the way they play," he said.

"Just their mindset and their leadership, it's something that I would love to be even a speck of them later in my career."

The forward totalled 48 run metres in the second half with 12 tackles made.

Australian Associated Press