Inexperienced Melbourne centre Marion Seve believes he can emulate teammate Justin Olam and have a breakout season this year.
Olam was one of the competition's success stories in 2019 as the Papua New Guinean rose from virtual obscurity to starting centre with a string of eye-catching performances in his second year at the Storm.
His rapid rise meant Seve was relegated to reserve grade for much of the second half of the season, with veteran coach Craig Bellamy opting for the likes of Will Chambers and Curtis Scott in the centres during the Storm's unsuccessful finals campaign.
But the landscape in Melbourne is much different this year, with Chambers and Scott departing the club during the off-season and former Titan Brenko Lee the only new signing expected to battle it out with Olam and Seve for the two starting centre positions.
It means Seve has a great chance to cement himself as a regular in the NRL and that fact is not lost on the 24-year-old on the eve of his second year in Melbourne.
"I feel like this year can be my breakout year," Seve told NRL.com.
"Craig told me I have got a good opportunity there and I want to take it with both hands.
"I have trained hard during the pre-season and expect to have a good season this year."
Soward's Say: 2020 Storm
Seve managed four tries from 12 appearances in 2019, but didn't want to make any bold claims about any try-scoring goals he had for the new campaign.
Instead, the quietly-spoken Samoan will focus on doing his job at the defensive end of the field and let those scoring opportunities take care of themselves.
"I have made a big emphasis on defence this pre-season," he said.
"It is what Craig is all about and I feel I have a good pre-season in this regard so I have just go to put it all together."
If Seve does get the nod to start the season in the centres it is likely he will play alongside Fijian powerhouse Suliasi Vunivalu on the right-hand side of the field.
Vunivalu managed 11 tries for the Storm last season and Seve knows he will need to combine well with the Storm winger if he is to maintain his place in Bellamy's run on side.
"Suli is one of the best wingers we have in our game and my focus will be doing my job well so he can do his job well," Seve said.
"I will have to try and get him the ball more, so we can get that combination and chemistry going on the right-hand side."
