While Packer's progress could best be described as steady, Kiwis regular Matulino's career is way ahead of the curve.
"He is going massive, man, coming off the bench and making a real impact," says Packer of Matulino.
"We are good mates so it is awesome to see him playing well. We like each other to do good. That's what we all want at the end of the day, for everyone to succeed and you do that by winning the comp."
Matulino is equally impressed with Packer. Good friends off the field, the pair seldom stand shoulder to shoulder on it. The way the Warriors' propping rotation works, Packer is normally shuffling off as Matulino makes his entrance. There's seldom time for any pleasantries.
"Get off, hurry up" is about the extent of it, says Matulino.
While it is the flashier types who attract the rave reviews, there is no doubting Packer and Matulino's impact in the finals victories over the Tigers and Storm. Alongside senior pros Jacob Lillyman and Sam Rapira, they make up a daunting propping foursome. Last week against the Storm they were totally dominant. Led by Lillyman's 111m, the Warriors quartet rumbled for 409m. The Storm's battery of props managed just 310m.
Lillyman and Rapira have been operating at a high level for some time. It's the improvement of Matulino and Packer that has taken the side's pack to another level.
"They have really hit the scene as NRL players now," coach Ivan Cleary said. "They have both gone over 50 games and have just been getting better and better.
"They are really young but they have matured into their bodies now and they understand their roles. Ben is only new to the front rower's game but he understands it completely now and is confident in his ability to do what he needs to do. Ben in particular has been incredibly consistent.
"God knows how good he is going to be."
Boiled down a touch, Cleary's view is that two promising boys have become men.
"It is hard to be a man when you are 21 but certainly they are on the way," he said.
Packer agrees with the coming-of-age theory.
"It just comes with getting older. We were both young when we started. We are 22 now, this is our third full year of first grade. It really just comes with playing. Ben has played 80-odd games and I have played 70-odd. We are not really rookies any more. We know that we have to do our jobs and be consistent every week."
They also feel they truly belong.
"I guess you earn respect as you pay your dues," Packer said. "I think we have definitely got the respect of everyone in the team and we definitely belong in the team."
While Packer still has the occasional dip, Matulino is the model of consistency. He has now played over two full seasons without missing a game, and has also clocked up eight test caps. It's an achievement he plays down.
"I am only playing 40 minutes a game," he said. "If you add up the minutes I have probably only played half a season. If you look at Simon [Mannering] he has probably played 80 minutes every game. So my body is pretty fresh."
Matulino's emerging maturity comes with a harder edge, particularly with regard to finals football.
"I played in the '08 game against Manly and I can say I was sort of happy just to be playing NRL. Finals footy wasn't really a big hype for me, I was just stoked to be playing NRL. This time I am emotionally attached to this team and I want to go all the way.
"I've reset my goals. I want to get that trophy."
Packer remains an interesting study, equally capable of providing expansive utterances or killing off a conversation depending on how he views the merits of a question.
Asked if Manly were the toughest team in the NRL, he laughs and says: "I dunno, they are the hardest team left."
He might just be wrong about that.
