Key recruits Ben Barba and Michael Ennis are yet to combine as well as expected, Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan admits.

The Sharks are 0-2 to start the NRL season after losses to Canberra and Brisbane and face a virtual must-win game against Melbourne at AAMI Park on Saturday night.

Since the advent of mandatory grand finals in 1954, no side has gone on to win the premiership after losing their opening three fixtures of the season.

Barba and Ennis were key figures in Canterbury’s charge to the 2012 grand final.

But Flanagan says the duo are struggling as Barba continues to adapt to his frontline playmaking role.

“They are training really well and their communication on the training paddock has been really good, it is just that natural cohesion on the field under pressure probably hasn’t just been there,” Flanagan said on Friday.

“Robbo (halfback Jeff Robson) gets us around the park and calls a lot of the shots.

“Michael has been in a situation most of his career where he has done that in the ruck as well.

“Getting that cohesion under pressure, and throw Benny in there as well, it is just not there for us but are working really hard towards it.”

“I saw some improvement last week, we just need to keep doing that but we need to get a win very quickly.”

The reigning wooden spooners went tryless in the loss to the Broncos.

Flanagan conceding his side is taking some time to adjust to Barba playing five-eighth.

“We have designed a game for Benny to fit into our structure, he is not that traditional five-eighth where he is going to get his hands on the ball and go to the line with the back-rowers,” he said.

“So we have designed our attack to suit Benny Barba

“That will take a little bit of time, but it is progressing, when we get that win it will give us confidence.”

Representative star Luke Lewis is likely to return from a knee injury against the Storm, in a huge boost for the Sharks.

“He has trained well all week, he will be on a plane and we will make a call in the morning,” Flanagan said.

“His knee injury has been frustrating for him but he is on top of it now, he is looking fit and looking strong.”

MELBOURNE V CRONULLA KEY STATS

* Cronulla have a terrible recent record in Melbourne: theY were thumped 48-6 there last season and 38-6 in 2013. Melbourne led both of those matches with a combined total at 58-0.

* Melbourne is the toughest place in the NRL to travel, Since 2010 Melbourne has won almost 75 per cent of its matches (47/63) at AAMI, the best 10 game or more record of any team at a single venue in that period.

* Melbourne have won eight of the past nine matches against the Sharks, including six straight at home

* Billy Slater needs just one try to equal Ken Irvine (171 tries for North Sydney) as the leading all time try scorer for one club. Slater already sits third on the all-time try scorers list behind Irvine (212 tries) and Steve Menzies (180 tries).

* Gallen is the player to stop for Melbourne, he ran for 190 metres against the Raiders and a massive 252 metres against the Broncos.

* Source: Fox Sports Stats