Fresh off a win over the Sydney Roosters on Thursday evening to take second spot on the NRL ladder with a four and two record, the Melbourne Storm are just weeks away from having an almighty selection headache in the backline.
Given star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen is yet to take to the field this year, and that Melbourne have already played the Parramatta Eels, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters, that four and two record is all the more impressive.
A 28-8 win over the Roosters last night saw replacement fullback Nick Meaney shine again, while rugby sevens convert Will Warbrick continues to impress on the wing.
Papua New Guinean centre Justin Olam will be a permanent fixture of Craig Bellamy's side as the season progresses, while Reimis Smith has been nothing but consistently excellent for the Storm since his switch from the Canterbury Bulldogs.
The other winger, Xavier Coates, is a Queensland State of Origin representative and won't be going anywhere, scoring a hat-trick in appalling weather conditions against the Roosters on Friday.
That doesn't even factor in the recent returns of George Jennings and Marion Seve through the QLD Cup. While Seve is likely down the pecking order, Jennings was set to be a first-choice member of the backline last year before ending his season in Round 1 with injury.
He may have a long wait to regain his spot back in the side, with Grant Anderson, who debuted in an injury crisis last year, currently named amongst the 22-man squad each week for the Storm.
In short, the Storm have more options for their back five than they know what to do with, but coach Craig Bellamy said during his post-game press conference on Thursday night that he hasn't thought it - although it'll be a good headache to have.
โI haven't though about it to be honest, still not quite sure when Paps (Papenhuyzen) is going to be back,โ Bellamy said.
โI am pretty sure we will find a spot for Nick there somewhere, he's been one of our most consistent players all year and I thought his first half tonight was outstanding.
โSo it will be a nice problem to have, but it's not a problem at the moment.โ
Meaney is unlikely to be anywhere near the number one jersey once Papenhuyzen returns.
The star fullback, who was on the cusp of State of Origin selection last year before being injured, is one of the more electric players in the competition and will line up for the Storm immediately upon his return.
That, in truth, pushes Meaney to the wing, although whether Bellamy is willing to part with the size, strength and impressive running game of Warbrick remains to be seen.
Warbrick has been consistently strong since making his way into first-grade, averaging 136 metres per game and scoring a pair of tries to go with his 15 tackle breaks and 3 line breaks.
The decision is drawing nearer though - it was revealed during the week that Papenhuyzen is back to running both on grass and on sand, leaving Bellamy with a decision that will likely need to be made in the coming weeks.
Estimates were originally set between Round 6 and 8 for Papenhuyzen, and while next Friday seems out of the question, the Tuesday Anzac Day game against the New Zealand Warriors - which is still 18 days away, may be the target.
If not, the Storm have a bye in Round 9, and don't play their Round 10 game until May 6 - a game Papenhuyzen will almost certainly be available for as the men in purple tackle the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Given the backline depth, Papenhuyzen won't be rushed back, but the Storm will also want him racking up minutes and kilometres in real game situations in his legs before the whips start cracking at the back-end of the season.
