3 minute read
Melbourne are treating their NRL clash with Parramatta at Suncorp Stadium as a finals dress rehearsal in preparation for the playoffs at the same venue.
Competition frontrunners Melbourne are treating Saturday night's clash with Parramatta as a finals dress rehearsal with the NRL playoffs looming.
While they are without injured first-choice forwards Dale Finucane and Nelson Asofa-Solomona, the defending premiers have opted against resting players as they look to right an early-season wrong.
The Eels handed the Storm their first defeat of the year - a four-point loss in the second round - with Melbourne also losing their next match against Penrith.
But since then they are undefeated, with a win this week setting an all-time record for most consecutive victories with 20.
Melbourne feel a clash with another finals-bound side, with the Eels currently sixth, at Suncorp Stadium where they will likely play all of their finals, as a perfect tune-up.
"We will pick our best available team this week because it's two weeks out from the finals on Suncorp Stadium where we think the finals will all be played," Storm football manager Frank Ponissi told SEN radio on Tuesday.
"We want to treat this like a bit of a finals hit-out.
"With two games to go it's important we pick it up now for the run into the finals."
He said that dependent on their performance against the Eels, they may look to rest players in the final round against the Sharks.
The Eels game is Felise Kaufusi's 150th NRL match but the representative second-rower said his milestone, like the all-time win record, would be something left until later for reflection upon.
"It's pretty cool special to reach 150 and it's something I will look back on when I'm done with footy," the 29-year-old said.
"The win record, we as a team know there's a bigger goal and that's been there at the end of the year and holding the trophy.
"The whole group will realise what we've accomplished, if we do get there this weekend, when the time is right.
"As nice as it is to win these games, it doesn't mean much if you're not there at the end of the year."
