King said a decision on the starting XI would be made this morning but he ruled out the prospect of Black Caps allrounder Jimmy Neesham opening the bowling. The good news is Neesham is fit amid guidelines rather than restrictions to his bowling load.
At a pinch, perhaps allrounder Sam Wells could open alongside Rae but whoever assumes the mantle may not find too much assistance from the Nelson Park strip.
"[The pitch] did not have a lot of green grass on it, which is what we are used to up here. The training wickets looked similar, as they should, and they were a little bit more on the slow side."
King was hoping for a wicket with pace and bounce to help out what is an inexperienced seam attack.
Rae, who King confirmed would take the new ball, has played four first-class games for Otago and has taken five wickets at an average of 62.80.
Hunter (20) will make his debut while Lobb would make his first provincial appearance in eight years.
Former Northern Districts captain Brad Wilson and North East Valley wicketkeeper Adam Miles will be making their debuts for Otago, who finished third last summer.
While Otago have a decent batting line up, picking up 20 wickets will be a challenge for the bowling unit.
"We have to be really smart around our bowling plans. We don't have a lot of experience to rely on, like we do with the batting.
"All we ask of the bowlers, that are given the job, is they do it to the best of their ability."
The visitors are likely to have a two-pronged spin attack in Mark Craig and left-armer Nick Beard, who returns after remodelling his action.
King will be making his debut proper as a head coach. He had a stint as interim coach when former coach Vaughn Johnson resigned towards the end of the 2013-14 season. Otago Daily Times
