Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy won't be using the absence of his Origin stars as an excuse should his in-form side lose to the Dragons on Thursday night.
The league leaders travel to Wollongong six points clear on the Telstra Premiership ladder but have to take on the Dragons without six representative players away with their respective states for next Wednesday's Origin decider in Sydney.
Rather than dwell on who's missing from his star-studded side, Bellamy is instead embracing who gets the opportunity to perform and the Storm have named two debutants for the clash against Paul McGregor's 10th-placed team.
Billy Walters - the son of Maroons coach Kevin - will start at five-eighth in the absence of Cameron Munster, while teenager Tino Fa’asuamaleaui looks set to earn his NRL debut after being named on the bench.
And Bellamy is looking forward to see whether the duo can perform on the big stage as the Storm attempt to make it seven wins on the bounce and move further clear at the top of the ladder.
"It probably sounds a bit silly, but it’s a game we all look forward to," Bellamy said when asked about the prospect of taking on the Dragons without the Storm’s Origin players.
"We have got six Origin players and we are really happy for them to be representing their states.
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"When that happens a couple of young guys get a chance. We have got a couple of young guys making their debut for the Storm tomorrow night and it is really exciting times for those guys and the rest of the group."
The Dragons are missing five players to Origin duty themselves and Bellamy believes the lack of big names on show for both sides will cancel each other out.
"We have got six in and they have got five in. It changes things around a lot. In saying that, they have still got some experienced players,” he said.
"They are very inexperienced in their halves, but both teams are pretty similar. Both sides are equally weakened by Origin, but also have some guys that can play some good footy and step up.”
And despite the fact his team sits perched well clear at the head of competition and is on track for a third minor premiership from the last four seasons, Bellamy insists the Storm aren't playing as well as he would like.
"I think we could be going a bit better to be quite honest,” Bellamy noted.
"It seems a bit surreal to be six points clear at the moment, but that can change quickly as well.
"Were not too concerned about the table…what is important is our performance, how we prepare and play and the table will look after itself from there."
