Payten, who replaced Stephen Kearney following his sacking last June, is now in charge of the North Queensland Cowboys.
Ahead of facing his former side on Sunday, Payten told D'Arcy Waldegrave what he's made of them under their new mentor.
"I think they know their identity. They're very comfortable in the way they play.
"On top of what they throw on you, they've got some terrific athletes who put pressure on you in the way they move, and in skill set, they offload the ball."
He's also's in awe of the ability of rising star 18-year-old Reece Walsh.
"He's super quick, he's good on his feet, he can throw a good pass, he plays what he says, and he's got that youthful buzz about him."
He says that he has loved watching them this year, and believes they are a very good team.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.