KEY POINTS:
Come test time each year, there is inevitably long debate and much searching before the Kiwis hooker is named - no one has made the spot their own since Richard Swain retired in 2003.
This season is different, with four or more contenders for the No 9 jersey
and the competition is sure to be hot.
Tomorrow, two of those go head to head - the Warriors' Nathan Fien, who will soon complete his three-year residency to qualify for selection, and 2005 Tri-Nations hooker David Faiumu of the Cowboys.
Also in the mix for the test against Australia in Wellington in October and the tour to England that follows will be Wests Tigers' Dene Halatau, the Warriors' Lance Hohaia and Hull's Motu Tony.
Faiumu, 24, is running injury-free for a change after knee problems disrupted his 2006 season and caused more time on the sideline this year.
His consistent performance saw him elevated from the bench to start ahead of regular Corey Payne in their last win, 28-24 over Canberra.
"I'm happy with the way I'm going but looking for more ways to improve," Faiumu says.
He feels attack has always been a strength for him but he needs to go for the gap more, take the dummy-half runs as they present themselves.
The knee injury and the fear of aggravating it may have affected his confidence, he says.
"You know if you make a half-break there are guys like JT [Johnathan Thurston] and Matt Bowen to finish it off," he says of the Cowboys' halfback and fullback stars. Defence has not been a highlight of his game so that is what he is working hardest on.
Of Maori-Samoan background, Faiumu was a Wainuiomata junior who went to Rockhampton to play in the Queensland Cup competition and was picked up by the Townsville-based NRL franchise.
He made his debut in 2004, the year Fien wound his career up at the club and headed to Auckland.
Faiumu met his wife, Belinda, in Rockhampton and they now have a daughter, Nhiarla, who was born between games in the Tri-Nations in 2005. Faiumu left camp to be with Belinda for the birth when it appeared imminent, but returned to Auckland to play Australia at Mt Smart after the baby held on. He then wasn't able to make the return trip before the birth. The couple's second child is due in two weeks.
He has just re-signed with the Cowboys through to the end of the 2009 season, and says the security is good for a young family.
"They have recognised my role at the club and I'm happy to stay here and improve," he says, although he wants a starting spot fulltime at some stage. And he wants to continue "getting out of dummy-half with some options," so he gets some attention from the Kiwis selectors.
"If I look after the club form, that's all I can do," he says, making clear he wants to represent his country of birth again.
"I love the game the Kiwis play, it suits my style. It will always be a goal to make that team."
The same goes for Fien.
After playing one State of Origin game for Queensland in 2001, he has flagged that option away. He played two tests for the Kiwis last year but was then ruled ineligible because the NZRL had not ensured he met selection criteria.
But Fien is determined to make amends. Asked if there are any further Origin aspirations he says: "Definitely not. I made my decision and I'm not one to turn back. My goal now is to play for the Kiwis.
"I qualify in October, I'll be making sure everything is okay and hopefully my form will be good enough."
Fien, 27, has just signed for two more seasons with the Warriors and would be happy to see out his career at the club, he says. On Saturday he reaches the milestone of 150 games in the NRL, 59 of those for the Warriors.
"150 games is a good achievement but I'd give it away for the two points," he says of tomorrow night's game.
Fien says he always gets up when playing against his old club.
"There's always a bit of feeling there. It's one game I've been looking forward to all year, we didn't play the Cowboys in Townsville last year, my mum and dad are still there and they'll be in the stands on Saturday and I'm looking forward to playing in front of them."
Team morale and confidence are good.
"It was just little things not going our way when we lost those games [six in a row]."
Three good wins had them confident they could push on.
The Cowboys have not dwelled on the two post-Origin losses they've suffered (to the Roosters 64-30 and Storm 58-12), Faiumu says.
"We know what we did wrong in those games, our defence let us down. We worked on that against Canberra."
