Melbourne captain Cam Smith has backed his team's finals newcomers, Gareth Widdop and Kevin Proctor, to stand up in the cauldron of Saturday's preliminary final against the Warriors.
The 2011 minor premiers play host to the Kiwi team at AAMI Park looking to qualify for their fifth grand final in six seasons, a year after they claimed the wooden spoon as a result of their salary cap cheating.
But while that scandal forced a host of club stars out the door, Greg Inglis and Ryan Hoffman among them, the list of replacements, one that includes under-20s graduates Widdop and Proctor and journeymen recruits Jaiman Lowe and Adam Woolnough, have well and truly filled the breach.
And while there were some late concerns as the Storm saw off the Knights a fortnight ago to earn a week off, Smith believes his team did plenty right in the opening hour of that qualifying final.
"I was quite happy with the way we played against the Knights," Smith said.
"We didn't try and go out and be too extravagant with the football or try to put on too many fancy plays, we just wanted to be really solid with the way we played and I think it showed with the way we controlled the ball."
"I think it was the best completion rate we had all season."
"There was probably a 15-minute period there where we dropped our intensity in the match but that's not a concern of ours at all."
And Smith says the finals rookies in the line-up, including Widdop, Proctor, Matt Duffie and Rory Kostjasyn if he shakes off a hamstring strain, are more than ready to do their job.
"I think the intensity of the game was finals-like against the Knights," he added.
"You're right, the crowd wasn't as big as what we would've liked to have been here but ... it didn't affect the way the game was played, the (small) crowd."
"It's going to be a lot different here tomorrow with hopefully we'll have 30,000 here."
"The boys have played in front of big crowds before, we went up to Brisbane this year and played in front of 30,000."
"We (also) played in front of a sold-out Brookvale (and) a sold-out Leichhardt."
"So we've played in environments that are quite loud and where the crowds are very passionate."
"I don't think that's going to have an effect on the way we play at all."
And Smith is anticipating the Warriors bringing their absolute best on Saturday night, having been belted 40-10 by the Broncos before bouncing back to overrun Wests Tigers 22-20.
"They can be (inconsistent) and I think some people see them that way but we see them as a very good side, a side with a lot of quality across the park," Smith said.
"And we know tomorrow that they're going to come out and play their best football, or that's the way we've prepared anyway."
"Everyone knows what's at stake, a spot in the grand final."
"I don't think they're going to come out and play below their best, that's the way we've prepared."