That might have been a once-off deal. Parramatta had the Storm right where they wanted them and blinked just before lopping off their head. Melbourne escaped and that would turn out to be the best game of Parra's season before they were tipped out by the Cowboys. Given the quality of the coach and players in Melbourne, don't be waiting for them to underwhelm once again. Brisbane's Ben Hunt was right when he said the Storm don't beat themselves. The Broncos must assume they are about to play their best game of the season and even that may not be enough.

Week on v week off?

Ahhhh ... the age-old debate. Reckon Melbourne are pretty happy with their deal after a tough day at the office against Parramatta. That was a little too close for comfort and they were pushed to their limits. A few of their key men aren't exactly spring chickens so rest and recovery looks perfect for them. Brisbane's loss to the Roosters has seen them doing things the hard way. They didn't have to travel in week two but were forced to scramble for most of the night against Penrith. They also took some damage, with Corey Oates, Jai Arrow and Sam Thaiday all taking knocks to the head.

Can the Broncos find an answer to halves issues?

It's been functional without really reaching any great heights. Brisbane didn't lose their halfback but they did have to send him to play hooker once Andrew McCullough was ruled out for the season with a knee injury. Throw in an injury to Darius Boyd, which sent second-choice halfback Kodi Nikorima to fullback, and it's easy to understand why the Broncos' attack hasn't exactly been clicking. The return of Boyd from a hamstring injury on Friday night should go some way to bringing back some cohesion. But when you consider the trio they go up against are Slater, Cronk and Smith, they would want to show plenty of improvement.

Will Melbourne feel the pressure?

Maybe that did play a factor in their week one performance. Or maybe it was the emotion surround Cameron Smith's record-breaking 356th appearance. In any case, something just wasn't quite right with the Melbourne machine. Credit to the Eels - perhaps the only reason the Storm spluttered was because Parramatta put a spanner in the engine. But can anyone really see it happening again? Fans can cite the Cowboys' pair of wins as evidence anything can happen in the finals but the North Queenslanders tend to be dramatically underrated, especially in Sydney. Melbourne should be back to their best and are unlikely to get the speed wobbles in consecutive games.

Where do they win/lose it?

The Storm just have to do what they do - but better than week one. They will have seen Brisbane's defensive frailties on the edges and Cronk will be sending back-rowers at Anthony Milford all night. Unlike Penrith, they won't just have the same play on repeat, so the Broncos are going to have to cover all bases. Brisbane have to find another 20-30 per cent from previous weeks and attempt to get some ascendancy through the middle of the field. If that happens, Milford and James Roberts can do some damage.