Moses Mbye is bracing for a high-ball barrage as he makes his fullback debut in Canterbury's NRL season opener.
Mbye said he was expecting to be tested early and often by Melbourne's kickers on Saturday as he makes his highly publicised shift from the halves into the No.1 role.
He revealed he had only played fullback once - as a 16-year-old in local first grade for junior club the Noosa Pirates - and even then, it was only for half a game.
He was under no illusions as to whether he was set to be targeted and welcomed the challenge.
When asked what his side would do to an opposition player turning out in their first game at fullback, Mbye said: "You'd be testing him out early - that's for sure. I'm expecting that.
"That's just part of it, isn't it? That's how you do it; everyone's here to win a game; everyone's competitive here. Why wouldn't you do that? You're stupid not to.
"I've been working hard on that. I'll get tested early for sure. It's how you respond to it. Adversity is a good thing - it brings out the best in some people."
Mbye's teammates have raved about his ability to adapt to the position and his explosive speed, which he was rarely able to showcase in the halves.
All summer, Mbye has worked under the watchful eye of assistant coaches David Penna and Steve Antonelli to learn the art of fullback.
He said he was happy with his work under the high ball, but acknowledged he was yet to be tested in game situations.
He said getting the kilometres in his legs required of fullbacks and learning the finer points of organising a defensive line had given him a new appreciation for the game's best No.1s.
"I'm going to be a different style of player to the other fullbacks. I want to make it my own style and play the game how I want to play it," he said.
"The smaller things in the game, the defensive side of things, there's two really good fullbacks in the game at the moment - Darius Boyd and Billy Slater, who fortunately we won't have to play tomorrow night.
"The way those guys can continue to communicate under fatigue, get their players where they need to be, is quite admirable.
"After doing a tough summer, I've got a lot more respect for what they actually do."
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