Storm look to speedsters for winning edge

Sep 19, 2017 - 5:33 PM One has power, one has pure pace and together they form the most lethal wing combination in the NRL.

Melbourne are counting on their speedsters Suliasi Vunivalu and Josh Addo-Carr, as well as returning fullback Billy Slater, being the difference in this year's NRL finals campaign.

Vunivalu and Addo-Carr are Melbourne's strike weapons heading into their preliminary final against Brisbane on Friday night,.

The 21-year-old Vunivalu scored 23 tries through the season to top the NRL tryscoring tally for the second successive year while 22-year-old Addo-Carr finished fifth with 20 tries.

But Addo-Carr, who switched from Wests Tigers this year, is the joint leader in line breaks with 24, while Vunivalu isn't far behind on 20.

Melbourne prop Jesse Bromwich described having Slater, who has missed the last two finals series through injury as "huge" but said Addo-Carr was pure excitement.

"I think he's just a genuine game breaker," Bromwich said of Addo-Carr.

"He's just got that speed where he can turn small opportunities into tries and line breaks and on the back of that he can probably save a few tries with his speed as well.

Slater says the Storm have had some brilliant wingers at the club - naming Steve Turner, Matt Duffie, Sisa Waqa and Marcus Bai - but he thought Vunivalu and Addo-Carr were special.

"Josh and Suli are doing a tremendous job at the moment - they're finishing off tries that a lot of people can't do," Slater said.

"I work with them first-hand involved in the back three and they're willing to work hard for the team and do all the tough stuff, not just score the tries."

Slater thought the duo worked well as they brought different strengths to the line-up.

Vunivalu stands 192cm and weighs 99kg while pocket-rocket Addo-Carr is 184cm and 81kg.

"Suli is a lot bigger, more robust and great under the high ball and great at getting the ball out of our end," Slater said.

"Josh does the same thing but uses his pace and agility.

"In the clear not many people will catch those two, they are two of the quickest the NRL and if you give them half an opportunity they can generally finish it off for us."

Source: AAP