A mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash awaits at AAMI Park on Saturday night as the third-placed Storm host the second-placed Sharks with the chance for one side to move to a 5-1 start to the season.
Expects Cronulla's ex-Storm stars Dale Finucane and Nicho Hynes to be well and truly up for this one against their former teammates, with each enjoying terrific starts to the year in terms of their personal and team form.
The Storm have won their past two matches by a combined 74-16 since their golden point loss to the Eels in round three.
Meanwhile the Sharks, since a last-gasp loss to the Raiders in round one followed by stealing a late win against the Eels in round two, haven't looked like losing since.
The Rundown
Team news
Storm: Prop Jesse Bromwich came out of the side on Friday after testing positive to COVID. Brandon Smith slots in to the front row and Alec MacDonald has been added to the bench.
Tyran Wishart returns on the bench for his third NRL game.
Sharks: Two changes on Friday with Sione Katoa (knee) and Briton Nikora (COVID) dropping out. Mawene Hiroti comes in on the wing and Cameron McInnes moves from the bench to the second row. Braydon Trindall has been added to the bench.
Veteran Aiden Tolman returns on the bench after missing last week's game due to COVID. He replaces Royce Hunt.
Key match-up
Jahrome Hughes v Nicho Hynes: remarkably, all four starting halves in this match began their careers as fullbacks. It's a more natural transition from the No.1 to the No.6 but the excellence produced by Hughes over the past few years and by Hynes in just five games as a halfback, is remarkable. He's arguably the form player of the NRL and a huge reason the Sharks share equal-second spot on the ladder with the Storm and Eels but Hughes has been impressive himself this year and the duel between the two is arguably the most important one on the field in terms of deciding the result.
Key match-up
Jahrome Hughes v Nicho Hynes: remarkably, all four starting halves in this match began their careers as fullbacks. It's a more natural transition from the No.1 to the No.6 but the excellence produced by Hughes over the past few years and by Hynes in just five games as a halfback, is remarkable. He's arguably the form player of the NRL and a huge reason the Sharks share equal-second spot on the ladder with the Storm and Eels but Hughes has been impressive himself this year and the duel between the two is arguably the most important one on the field in terms of deciding the result.
Story first published on NRL.com