League: Joeys ready to do job in Kangaroo backline

Kangaroo Matt King trains at Cornwall Park, Auckland. Picture / Kenny Rodger

The latest Australian side may be young at heart, especially in the backs, but the oldest theories in the book prevailed when coach Ricky Stuart chose his halfback.

Ready-made combinations are invaluable; while many predicted the Dragons' Ben Hornby would get the call for the No 7 jersey, it was also no surprise that gifted Cowboys half Johnathan Thurston was instead given the job for Saturday night even though a knee injury cut his NRL season short.

In picking Thurston, who made his debut off the bench in this year's Anzac game, Stuart has turned to the Queensland control room, the spine of the Maroons who upset New South Wales in the State of Origin series.

Much was made of the Andrew Johns' factor leading into this year's test in Brisbane, where the Kiwis' 2005 Tri-Nations triumph turned into one of their customary tragedies against the mighty green and golds. Johns had been absent when the Kiwis flogged Australia in the Tri-Nations final at Leeds.

After being dealt to in Brisbane, Kiwi coach Brian McClennan and his inner circle knew it was far more than Johns' deeds that had engineered their defeat. They pointed to the Newcastle connection of current and former Knights - Johns, brilliant hooker Danny Buderus, veteran lock Ben Kennedy and even wing Timanu Tahu - as having created many key moments in the game.

Considering the 50-12 scoreline, it would be fair to suggest that it was more than just a few bad Knights for the Kiwis. But McClennan and co reckoned the Newcastle link was prevalent in targeting struggling, tiring and injured Kiwi players.

Now, the Queensland connection has taken over. Hooker Cameron Smith and Thurston join captain Darren Lockyer giving the Kangaroos a two-season Origin combination to run the show.

They will also have Karmichael Hunt - who played one of the Origin games this year - in that other key position of fullback.

McClennan said: "They've got the four Queensland pivots there with Hunt at fullback, he comes up to offer alternative angles for Lockyer."

While Stuart's latest Kangaroos are being labelled a new generation, their test tally of 120-plus games is not that far below some legendary line-ups of the past. In this team though, the experience is heavily invested in the 30-test Lockyer, and starting props Willie Mason and Petero Civoniceva. Ten of the Kangaroos played in this year's Anzac test.

It is in the outside backs that everything looks so shiny and new, an area where the Kiwis are also fielding rookies.

Hunt, Matt King, Mark Gasnier, Justin Hodges and Greg Inglis have less than 20 tests between them and an average age under 23.

The brilliant Hodges and Inglis, forwards Smith and bolter Reni Maitua, plus interchange prop Brent Kite are all making their debuts. But, as always, this Australian team will come hardened through State of Origin experience.