Melbourne Storm have unearthed a new attacking powerhouse with former All Blacks Sevens star Will Warbrick shining in a disjointed 24-6 win over the Warriors in Christchurch.
The 24-year-old Warbrick, standing at 193cm and weighing 105kg, scored a blockbusting second-half try and made two line breaks while running for an impressive 205m in the NRL Pre-Season Challenge clash.
The Storm made 13 errors in the match have plenty to work on ahead of the NRL season opener on March 1 against Parramatta.
Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak faces a nervous wait after being put on report for a hip-drop tackle on Melbourne's Dean Ieremia in the 58th minute.
Melbourne lost 791 games of NRL experience in the off-season with the exits of premiership-winning forwards Kenny Bromwich, Jesse Bromwich, Brandon Smith and Felise Kaufusi.
Getting the starting pack up to speed with that quartet gone is going to take time.
Melbourne signed former Warriors second-rower Eliesa Katoa in the off-season and he showcased his enormous upside with a blockbusting try in the second half.
The Warriors' defence on their tryline was desperate in the first half.
That is a major step forward from last year when they conceded 700 points, the most in the club's history in a single season, but doing it for one half is not going to cut it in the NRL.
New coach Andrew Webster appears to have instilled a much-needed grit into their play after the side lacked the physicality and intent needed in the NRL to succeed, but they still made a shocking 16 errors and started to fall off tackles when the game progressed.
The Warriors made shrewd buys with the acquisition of tough forwards Mitch Barnett, from the Knights, and former Eels firebrand Marata Niukore.
Both are the aggressive no-nonsense and brutal style of players that the Warriors once had on their rosters but have missed in recent seasons.
Watene-Zelezniak lit up the first half with a 60m sprint from a scrum where he ran right through the teeth of the Storm defence to give the hosts a 6-0 lead at halftime.
Melbourne guns Harry Grant and Cameron Munster found cohesion in the second stanza that they lacked in the first to provide touches of class to get the Storm home.
