Melbourne star Will Chambers will receive a reprieve after Suliasi Vunivalu was ruled out by the minor premiers ahead of Saturday’s NRL preliminary final.

Chambers was relegated to the bench for last week’s semi-final win over Parramatta and was initially named there for their clash against the Sydney Roosters at the SCG.

However, the Queensland and Australian three-quarter will be a late inclusion, with the Storm’s Fijian winger scratched after failing to take part in Friday’s captain’s run as a result of a hamstring injury suffered against the Eels.

Coach Craig Bellamy praised Chambers for refusing to kick dirt over what he described as one of the most-difficult selection decisions of his coaching career.

“Will’s taken it really well and he’s been helpful with all those younger guys,” Bellamy said.

“Sometimes there are decisions you’re not comfortable making or you don’t particularly want to make. But I see my role as having to make those decisions.”

Chambers and Curtis Scott – who has taken Chambers’ starting centre spot – will line up alongside each other on the right edge and will be responsible for marking Roosters star Latrell Mitchell.

Such is their respect for Mitchell, Bellamy admitted they had devoted part of their build-up to studying the 22-year-old in an attempt to shut him down.

“Latrell is such a dangerous player and he gets such good service from the two halves (Cooper Cronk and Luke Keary) and the fullback (James Tedesco) as well. He’s extra dangerous,” Bellamy said.

“We’ve worked extra hard this week on being good defensively in that area.”

Roosters coach Trent Robinson said Mitchell was showing ominous signs and he and fellow centre Joey Manu had been trying to physically dominate the other at training during the week.

Manu revealed the pair were prone to “bashing” each other at training in an effort to push each them further and Robinson said they hadn’t relented.

“I love the competition between the two of them,” Robinson said.

“I just finished watching them; they were attacking each other again. There’s a love for each other and a competition to own the left and right.

“That’s the way they train – those two are so close, they’ve grown up together here but they love that competition of trying to get one up on the other at training.”