Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga will blood three debutants in his side to take on the Kiwis in Perth on Saturday.
Raiders man-mountain Shannon Boyd will make his first Test appearance in the front row, while Sharks flyer Valentine Holmes is also set to make his debut in the green and gold, taking the wing spot made vacant by Semi Radradra’s omission from the squad.
With Boyd’s club teammate Josh Papalii ruled out of the Kangaroos squad through injury, St George’s Tyson Frizell managed to beat out Manly’s Jake Trbojevic for the chance to make his first appearance for his country.
For Holmes, his Kangaroos berth is almost unfathomable given how 2016 started for 21-year-old. As part of the Queensland ‘Emerging Maroons’ squad, he broke curfew and was fined for public nuisance and obstructing Queensland Police.
That indiscretion ensured Holmes would have to wait another year to potentially appear for Queensland as he received a twelve-month ban from State of Origin.
But his form since has been irresistible for the premiership-winning Cronulla Sharks. He collected 19 tries in 26 appearances and will now feature outside Josh Dugan on the wing for the Kangaroos.
Big bopper Boyd will start in his first ever Test match with Wests Tigers prop Aaron Woods unavailable for this match. Boyd has enjoyed a breakout season for Canberra, playing in 26 of the club’s 27 games and making his representative debut for NSW Country in May.
Frizell, who was a stand-out performer for New South Wales in the 2016 State of Origin series during his two appearances for the Blues, will make his international debut from the bench, with Matt Gillett, Boyd Cordner and Trent Merrin named in the run-on back row.
The rest of the team has a familiar feel, with the Queensland spine of Darius Boyd, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith once again set to line up for the national side.
Greg Inglis and Dugan are the two centres, and Blake Ferguson will start on the wing opposite Holmes.
Matt Scott will partner Boyd in the front row, while Michael Morgan, David Klemmer and Sam Thaiday will start on the bench alongside Frizell.
1 Darius Boyd
2 Blake Ferguson
3 Greg Inglis
4 Josh Dugan
5 Valentine Holmes
6 Johnathan Thurston
7 Cooper Cronk
8 Matt Scott
9 Cameron Smith
10 Shannon Boyd
11 Boyd Cordner
12 Matt Gillett
13 Trent Merrin
Reserves
14 David Klemmer
15 Michael Morgan
16 Tyson Frizell
17 Sam Thaiday
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