League: Kumuls won't test Australia

Lote Tuqiri's selection has come at the expense of Darius Boyd. Photo / Getty Images

Two certainties are likely to come from today's second Four Nations test between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The first is Australia will win; they've done so in the previous 10 encounters between the two countries.

The second is it will boost the spirit in the villages and towns of PNG where rugby league is the national sport.

Papua New Guinea might have what are estimated to be 850 languages but for anyone who has ever witnessed a test at Port Moresby, they have one voice. In fact the country's motto sums it up: "unity in diversity". It's hard to forget televised images of people on grandstand roofs and hanging out of trees just to sneak a peek of the action.

There is quite a bond between the two countries. Australian miners introduced rugby league to PNG during the gold rush of the 1930s and the locals have lapped it up since.

Even now - outside test series - an Australian Prime Minister's XIII (the best of those not involved in the NRL finals) goes to play the Kumuls every year. This year it was reported as the usual "bruising encounter" with PNG beaten 30-18.

The expectation is Australia will deliver a warm-up rout, although the highest winning margin remains just 32-0, set in 2000 at Townsville. The most points the Kumuls have scored against Australia is 14 in 1992.

There is plenty of incentive for a strong performance from visitors with Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare pushing to get a PNG-based NRL team set-up over the next decade. The most recent precedent was a Port Moresby side playing in the Queensland Cup in 1996-97.

The Kangaroos have concerns over fitness and selection going into the test. Australian and Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens has been accused of favouritism for picking Tigers wing Lote Tuqiri in the starting line-up ahead of St George's Darius Boyd.

Tuqiri will thus become the first Australian rugby league international to return from union and be capped again - but many observers felt Boyd was more deserving of selection.

That's the same Boyd who was awarded the Clive Churchill medal for the best player in the NRL grand final.

Admittedly Boyd played most of his football at fullback during the year, and has been beaten out of that spot by Billy Slater, but Tuqiri's selection still came as a shock.

Boyd has played plenty of games in the past on the right wing for both Queensland and Australia. Tuqiri only joined the squad on Tuesday after Jarryd Hayne pulled out with a hamstring injury.

"There were other players left out as well. This particular one has drawn some attention, I think to sell some papers, that's fine," said Sheens.

"But the situation with the team was it was selected for a reason and I don't want to sit here and justify why I pick players or why I don't pick players. Form on the park will determine whether we were right and if we were not right we'll make changes."

Sheens will also bear in mind the urge to keep his players fit, knowing an awkward fall or half-hearted tackle could restrict his squad early in the campaign.

Despite that, this looks like his best team with captain Darren Lockyer returning from injury at five-eighth. Lockyer missed the last four games of Brisbane's campaign but Sheens is understood to want to push him back to match fitness promptly. It will be interesting to see how he works his options. Presumably if his ribs remain tender there won't be much running.

Australia has two debutants - Nate Myles at prop and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs from the bench.

In the PNG ranks, only captain Paul Aiton plays in the NRL as a hooker for Cronulla but Ryan Tongia shapes as a difficult proposition having run up an average of 129 metres per game for the Titans under-20s in the Toyota Cup.

Coach Stanley Gene, has called upon five based in Britain - Sheffield's Menzie Yere, Makali Aizue of Halifax and the Hunslet pair, Michael Mark and Charlie Wabo.

The match kicks off 6pm (NZT) at Parramatta Stadium.