TOM Opacic only has six first-grade games to his name but that won’t stop him in tonight's mammoth battle, as the Broncos centre claims he has “no fear” of the Storm’s lethal backline.
The promising young talent will be up against Queensland star Will Chambers and try-scoring sensation Suliasi Vunivalu when Brisbane meet Melbourne at AAMI Park.
It is one of the toughest backline combinations to defend in the NRL, with Vunivalu playing a massive part in Melbourne’s 48-6 victory over Brisbane last month.
He scored a hat-trick off the boot of Cooper Cronk as Broncos utility Kodi Nikorima was forced to mark up against the Fijian flyer.
It was a hard game for all Broncos fans to watch, including a then injured Opacic who admits it is “not the best memory”.
But he also says it was not a game that has instilled any fear in him.
He says no matter who he marks up against, he always has the right amount of confidence.
“You can’t be going in there fearing any opposition,” he said.
“That’s how I feel against any team. It’s a confidence thing. You have to be confident, go out there and try to get over the top of them.
“I’d say what worked for them last time, they will try it again. But I’m sure we will be up to the task.
“You have a natural winger (Corey Oates) out there this time. That is always going to help.”
And Opacic is not the only Bronco who is sure he can handle the task of Melbourne’s explosive right side.
Brisbane fullback Darius Boyd has endorsed his young teammate ahead of tonight’s clash, saying Opacic has shown plenty of toughness so far.
“Since he’s been in first grade and even at training I’ve liked how he does defence,” Boyd said.
“He has a good knack of when to come in and when to stay out. There have been some classic one-on-one tackles when he had to make them.
“He’s a kid but he’s learning. He’s good for the club.”
No Cookies | The Courier Mail
