Adam Blair expects big 2011 NRL season

Melbourne Storm forward Adam Blair says his team has big things to prove this year on the back of playing an aimless 2010 NRL competition.
After it was discovered the Storm had breached the NRL salary cap over five years, the club were stripped of their 2007 and 2009 premierships and their 2006, 2007 and 2008 minor premierships, fined A$1,689,000 ($2,300.000) and were deducted all of their 2010 premiership points - leaving them nothing to play for last year.
As he prepares to embark on his sixth season with the club, the Far North-raised Blair said the new-look Storm were keen to get the new season underway, putting 2010 behind them.
"Yeah - we're really looking forward to the season and finally playing for something again. Everyone's excited. We play Manly [Sea Eagles] first up and there's some massive rivalry there, it will be a tough game ... we are trying to fill the stadium and pull the crowds in which will be good for both the club and us," the 24-year-old said.
It will be a very different line-up to the Storm of old against Manly on March 12 in the opening round, with 13 players leaving the club last year.
"The turnover from last year was huge. We have a lot of new blokes who are slowly getting to know the style of play and the values that we have here at Melbourne. Of the three trial games we had, we won two and lost one, and the new boys that filled the spots have all been going well," Blair said.
While the majority of the team have been training since October last year, Blair joined his teammates for pre-season training in January, after contesting and winning the Four Nations Tournament with his Kiwi teammates. "I had a short pre-season as those who played in the Four Nations were given a well deserved rest after the tournament. It was a great feeling to win the Four Nations ... but we definitely needed that break - it was a long year," he said.
Blair was recruited to the Storm as a 16-year-old and made his debut for first grade in 2006. Now with five seasons under his belt, and his 25th birthday looming later this month, the club feels it is time for the Kiwi to take on a more senior role within the side.
"My position has not changed, but having played more games than most of the team, I'm supposed to take on a senior role this season. I'm looking forward to it as it will be a challenge for me - I don't think I'm a leader, but the coaching staff think I am. If they believe in me, I am happy to do what I can for the club," he said.
One major change for the Storm was losing assistant coach Steve Kearney to the Parramatta Eels this year. Kearney, also the Kiwis' coach, was a mentor to the New Zealand players in the Storm camp.
"It was a little strange to come back to training and not have Steve there. While we lost Steve we gained another former Kiwi, David Kidwell, and they are similar guys in their style and their mannerisms. They are both really good role models for both the Kiwi boys and the other Storm players," Blair said.
It would be an interesting clash, playing against the Eels for the first time this season with Kearney at the helm, but Blair said the team would treat it as any other game.
"Every game is going to be challenging - Parramatta are a good side and one to watch out for but there will be no easy games this season - no matter who we are playing."
Blair's contract is up at the end of this season and so far, he has been reluctant to think about where he will go next year, but as a father to three-month-old Harlem and a wedding looming at the end of the year, he said he could no longer think about just himself when making that decision.
"But at the moment I'm looking forward to this season and playing the best footy I can ... the better footy I play this year, the more options I will have."