Storm of talent coming

Reds welcome Vunivalu’s footy smarts to union

SNATCHING away the NRL’s greatest tryscoring winger will deliver more to Queensland Rugby than just the tries Suliasi Vunivalu is bound to score for the Reds.

The Melbourne Storm flyer is one of the greatest finishers world rugby has seen in either code but it’s the intellectual property the Fijian-born star brings with him that is exciting his future teammates.

Reds winger Henry Speight said the opportunity to reverse-engineer the Storm’s celebrated team culture was one the team would be foolish to waste.

“I think it’s a great sign for the game, not just for Queensland and the Reds but for rugby in general,” Speight said.

“To have someone of that calibre come in, who has been in a set-up that is world renowned in sport, not just in Australia, can only be good for the club.

“(Vunivalu) has worked with Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and the likes, so he is coming in with an amount of professionalism and knowledge and we will only grow from that.

“The prospect of having another outstanding athlete and proven performer on the big stage is exciting.” Unlocking the secrets to the Storm’s consistency could prove the key to transforming a prodigious Reds backline into a Super Rugby force, the 31-year-old Wallaby said.

“If there is anything we can take out of Suli and the Storm it’s to put in performances that are consistent on a weekly basis,” Speight said.

“Hopefully we can pick his brain and see what makes the Storm such a consistent and successful club.

“That’s probably the big thing that the whole group can take, what makes them tick, what makes them perform week-in, week-out.

“They are like the Crusaders in Super Rugby in that they very rarely have a bad game.”

Adding another Fijian into the Reds mix adds an explosive element that oppositions will struggle to contain.

That truth is clear to the former Brumbies winger, who forged one of Super Rugby’s most dynamic backline partnerships with fellow Fijianborn centre Tevita Kuridrani.

“We can’t look too far ahead but it will be great to have a Fijian partnering on the wing or in centre,” he said.

“We only need to worry about setting the pace and challenge the opposition to keep up.”