It's taken a while for Brodie Croft to shake the comparisons to Cooper Cronk and the young halfback says he's only now starting to feel comfortable with his role with the Storm.
Croft was thrust into the starting halfback role when Cronk joined the Roosters at the end of the 2017 season and the 21-year-old freely admitted it has taken him time to find his best form.
Croft featured just 12 times for the Storm in 2018 as he struggled to follow in the footsteps of Cronk, but the 21-year-old has made a flying start to the new campaign with a couple of impressive performances in the No.7 jersey.
The Queenslander said a change in mindset towards the end of the 2018 season had helped him approach the new campaign differently and it was starting to pay dividends on the field.
"It is real nice just to concentrate on playing football and doing my job for the team and I have been pretty solid I reckon," Croft said.
"I have been happy to get my job done for the team like I did at the back end of last year.
"(I have concentrated on) keeping it simple and not trying to overdo my hand, and then if opportunities come, to take the opportunity with both hands.
"I am real confident with my position in the team, so now it's about backing myself and executing on the back of that."
Croft's composure at halfback has been crucial to the Storm's performances over the first two rounds, as Craig Bellamy's side have claimed victories over the Broncos at home and the Raiders in the nation's capital.
"It is always nice to start the season with a couple of wins," Croft said.
"Craig told us that a lot of the younger boys had to step up this year and that he really wanted us to train hard to get us ready for a real slog for the whole season.
"It is nice we are performing how we want to perform and it is nice to see that reflecting out on the field."
The Storm are on the road again for round three of the season, with a trip to Bathurst on Saturday night to face the Panthers.
Croft will square off with NSW Origin halves Nathan Cleary and James Maloney and knows he will have to be at the top of his game.
"They are the State of Origin halves ... it is a good challenge and I am looking forward to it," he said.
"They are a real aggressive, strong team and they are going to be throwing everything they have got at us this weekend, so we will have to be on our game."
