Warriors coach Ivan Cleary says his team will be focused on limiting rather than trying to stop the Storm's big three Cam Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk in Saturday night's preliminary final.
After last year's salary-cap scandal and the enforced departure of a host of stars including Greg Inglis, Melbourne were given little hope of even making the finals let alone being minor premiers.
But coach Craig Bellamy recruited some more journeymen forwards such as Jaiman Lowe and Adam Woolnough as well as some handy backs like Maurice Blair to bolster a squad with plenty of question marks on it.
And with the likes of Gareth Widdop and Matt Duffie cementing themselves as regular first-graders as well, only the Warriors stand between the Storm and another grand final berth.
But there has been plenty of focus this week on Smith, Slater and Cronk, who all played a part in Queensland's sixth State of Origin series win in succession earlier this year, and Cleary knows they will have a big say in the result at AAMI Park.
"The best way to do that is just for us to play well," Cleary said when asked how his team would approach going up against the trio.
"You just can't stop guys like that, they're not great players and the best in the business for nothing."
"They've done everything in the game, they've played on the biggest occasions, they always play well."
"So really it's just a matter of limiting them and what they can do."
"That really focuses around on what we can do; if we can play well, they'll still play well but hopefully our best game is enough."
Last week the Warriors spotted Wests Tigers an 18-6 advantage at the break and still trailed 20-12 with 15 minutes remaining but scored twice in the closing stages to snatch an unlikely 22-20 win.
But Cleary agreed that if they start so poorly again this week they could be headed for a repeat of their first-up finals performance against the Broncos when they were belted 40-10 in Brisbane.
"It will be very difficult," he said of what would happen if Melbourne lead comfortably at the break.
"The Storm are renowned for not giving you too many points, not conceding too many points."
"They're not a team you want to be chasing points off."
"Hopefully we're a little bit more diligent I guess, miserly in the first half, particularly in terms of penalties and possession."
"All that will certainly help our cause."
While Cleary said the Warriors have been 'buoyed' by the way they finished off last week, he wasn't sure if that necessarily means any momentum will transfer to Saturday night.
"Certainly we're buoyed by last week and there's a bit of confidence and the way that we finished the game off suggests that we can still be punching there at the end of the game," Cleary said.
"When you play against the Storm you have to go for 80 minutes."
"(So) if we're in the game with 20 to go we'll be happy."