League: Slater declared fit to play

Billy Slater at training. Photo / Getty Images

Australian fullback Billy Slater has been passed fit to play in tonight's rugby league Test against the Kiwis at Suncorp Stadium.

Slater rolled his ankle on Tuesday. However, he completed the final team training session in Brisbane.

After meeting with Kangaroos medical staff early today it was confirmed he would start.

The Kiwis lost lock Jeremy Smith on Thursday, also to an ankle injury.

He was the third withdrawal for the Kiwis following Frank Pritchard (neck) and Issac Luke (suspension).

Sydney Roosters centre Iosia Soliola goes into the starting side with Simon Mannering switching to the back row to cover for Smith.

Melbourne backrower Sika Manu is into the final 17 with Brisbane youngster Alex Glenn the new 18th man.

Meanwhile, Australian Test coach Tim Sheens believes his experience with the star-studded Canberra sides of the late 1980s and early 90s provides the perfect grounding for taking the Kangaroos into a new era.

Sheens will have his first crack at Test football against New Zealand in Brisbane tonight, the Kangaroos looking for revenge for last year's shock World Cup final loss to their traditional rivals.

The biggest task facing Sheens is correctly using the classy Australian backline, a situation he encountered at the Raiders when the likes of Mal Meninga, Laurie Daley and Ricky Stuart were running around in lime jumpers.

Sheens said it was important the Kangaroos laid a platform up the middle against the Kiwis rather than relying on one of their brilliant attacking stars to produce the match-winning play out wide.

"I've had plenty of experience with that with the Canberra sides many years ago with `when in trouble, give it to Mal," Sheens recalled.

"That didn't always work - it did on many occasions - but often the team in those days used to rely on the individual - a Laurie Daley to do something or a Ricky or a Mal and occasionally you got away with it but on many occasions you didn't.

"I tell you plenty of times we got beat because we didn't play well as a team, and I think this Australian side has got to start playing well as a team before we start relying on individuals.

TEAMS

AUSTRALIA

1 Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm), 2 Israel Folau (Brisbane Broncos), 3 Greg Inglis (Melbourne Storm), 4 Justin Hodges (Brisbane Broncos), 5 Darius Boyd (St.George-Illawarra Dragons), 6 Darren Lockyer, captain (Brisbane Broncos), 7 Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys), 8 Petero Civoniceva (Penrith Panthers), 9 Cameron Smith (Melbourne Storm), 10 Steve Price (New Zealand Warriors), 11 Anthony Laffranchi (Gold Coast Titans), 12 Paul Gallen (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks),
13 Glenn Stewart (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles).

Interchange:

14 Kurt Gidley (Newcastle Knights), 15 Brent Kite (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles), 16 Luke Bailey (Gold Coast Titans), 17 Anthony Watmough (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles). Coach: Tim Sheens (Wests Tigers)

NEW ZEALAND
1 Lance Hohaia (NZ Warriors), 2 Sam Perrett (Sydney Roosters), 17 Iosia Soliola (Sydney Roosters), 4 Jerome Ropati (NZ Warriors), 5 Manu Vatuvei (NZ Warriors), 6 Nathan Fien (NZ Warriors), 7 Benji Marshall, captain (Wests Tigers), 8 Roy Asotasi (South Sydney), 9 Dene Halatau (Wests Tigers), 10 Adam Blair (Melbourne), 11 David Fa'alogo (South Sydney), 12 Bronson Harrison (Canberra), 3 Simon Mannering (NZ Warriors)

Interchange:

14 Greg Eastwood (Bulldogs), 15 Jeff Lima (Melbourne), 16 Jason Nightingale (St George Illawarra), 19 Sika Manu (Melbourne). Coach: Stephen Kearney

- AAP