Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy says the decision to change his halves so close to the finals is a risk he is willing to take.
The league leaders will once again pair Kiwi Jahrome Hughes with Cameron Munster in the halves against Manly, with exciting youngster Ryan Papenhuyzen earning another start at fullback.
The switch means Brodie Croft is left out of the Storm side for the second week running, with the regular halfback to play in the Intrust Super Cup for Easts Tigers this weekend as Bellamy searches for his best combination for the post-season.
While Bellamy admits the decision to leave Croft out was difficult, he said he wants to get another good look at how his spine performs with Hughes and Papenhuyzen featuring.
"You don't want to go mucking around with your side too much, but we just want to have a look at this and see what we think," Bellamy said.
"The position we are in, we thought it was a chance for us to have a look at it.
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"Our job as coaches and my job as head coach is to get us playing our best footy at this time of year... sometimes we are going to get things not quite right and sometimes we will get it right.
"We had a look last week and we will have a look again this week and we will go from there."
Bellamy admitted his thinking may have been somewhat different if the Storm hadn't already locked away a top-two finish this season and he hasn't ruled out reinstating Croft for the finals should he believe that combination is best for his side.
"If we were fighting for a top-four spot or top-eight spot perhaps we mightn’t have done it," he said.
"But I don't know as we are not in that position.
"We are just looking at a couple of different things and we are looking at other players' strengths and where we think it suits the team better.
"If we think it is better to go back with Brodie he is going to slot in there no worries because he has played there for most of the season."
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A victory at Lottoland will see the Storm clinch the minor premiership this season, while a loss will leave the door ajar for the Roosters to pounce should Bellamy's side slip up in the final round against the Cowboys.
The Sea Eagles also have plenty to play for, with a spot in the top four theirs for the taking should they win their final two matches.
Saturday’s clash will be the first time that Bellamy has taken on Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler at Manly's traditional home ground since the two teams went head-to-head in the now infamous Battle of Brookvale in 2011, but the Storm coach said that will have zero relevance to how his team performs this weekend.
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"For us it's the team we are playing this week and there are two points up for grabs and that was a long time ago and from a different era," Bellamy said.
"Some things that happened that night that won’t ever happen again and for good reason.
"We are certainly not proud of what happened that night and I don't think Manly would be either."
The Storm have named Will Chambers (ankle) for Saturday night's clash, but Bellamy said the experienced centre would need to tick a few boxes before he was passed fit to take his place.
