United took the edge over the Northern Queenslanders  in Melbourne on Thursday – winning in 85-73.

And it could be another Queenslander who again plays a major role in getting Melbourne over the line in front of a sell-out Minerdome crowd of 1400.

Small forward Todd Blanchfield was to the fore in the series opener, shooting 13 points, and is confident he is ready to not only step up another notch in Ballarat, but also in what will be his second season with United.

The Mackay 25-year-old joined Melbourne after five years with Townsville Crocodiles and with the experience of the past year says he feels much more comfortable with his role.

Blanchfield said with Melbourne retaining a strong core of players it had the continuity to build on last season, when it finished on top, but lost a semi-final to New Zealand Breakers.

He said greater depth on its roster would play a significant role in achieving this.

Blanchfield said the pre-season, which right now featured training sessions six days a week, had had a major focus on full court pressure and all the signs so far were promising.

Melbourne, which is playing in Ballarat for the third year in a row, and Cairns, which visited the city last year, each arrived on Thursday, with school visits on the agenda.

Former Ballarat Miners guard Anthony Fisher will line play for Cairns on his home court.