There has been a reshuffle at Mt Smart, with try-scoring machine David Fusitu'a set to have a new partner on the right edge come round one.
Coach Stephen Kearney has made the call to shift powerhouse centre Solomone Kata to his preferred right-hand side and Peta Hiku to the left, breaking up a combination that last year saw Fusitu'a lead the NRL with 23 tries.
Kata has, in the past, been criticised for poor decision making, often opting to take it into contact himself rather than pass to the outside man..
Which is why Kearney's call to mix things up is such a big one, potentially robbing an attacking weapon like Fusitu'a of those final touches.
But Kearney insists the move is "the right one" for the side as a whole, and it's a feeling echoed by the high-flying winger from Kelston.
"I'm cool with it – excited actually," Fusitu'a said.
"He [Kata] said to me from the start 'if I don't pass to you, rip into me' and I told him I would have done that anyway. But no, look, we have been training really hard and we're excited to put that into practice.
"Sol is a really good defender so it's been a lot of us working and figuring out how each likes to play in certain situations."
The pair have played alongside one another in the red of Tonga, something Fusitu'a said has helped the transition.
The move was player driven, with Kata approaching Kearney in the off-season and asking to be moved over to his preferred right edge.
"He actually has always played right centre, but shifted to the left when we had Konrad [Hurrell] here," Kearney said.
"We as a coaching staff gave it some thought, and ultimately we think it's the right call."
But it's not just Kata's arrival that will bring change to one of 2018's most potent attacking edges – Fusitu'a will also be playing alongside Adam Blair this year, after Tohu Harris was shifted to the left.
But the man himself welcomed the changes and said as a unit, the side were ready to make the most of it.
"If Mooks makes the call then that's how it's going to be. Solo and Peta are different of course but they're both quality players so I'm not bothered either way and I'm very lucky in that sense," he said.
"I just want to get better, obviously, and as a side that's what we all want. I know how hard we have been working and everyone is just excited to hit the field Saturday and finally play some footy."
Stuff
so dont worry about me remembering that Panthers game lol.
