League: Relieved Soliola going all out at training [+audio]

New cap Iosia Soliola could be forgiven for holding back in training ahead of the Kiwis' Tri-Nations rugby league opener against Australia in Auckland this weekend.

But that won't be the mindset of the Sydney Rooster, who has twice missed out before on test selection because of injury.

He'll be hoping nothing untoward happens over the next couple of days "for sure".

"But I'm not going to go soft in training," he said.

"I'm going to give it 100 per cent and try my best to be as well prepared come the game on Saturday."

Soliola, 20, was in line to make his test debut in last year's Tri-Nations, but a knee injury forced him to withdraw from a tournament the Kiwis went on to win.

Another knee injury kept the centre out of the frame for selection for the Anzac test in May.

He then missed the Kiwis' one-off match against Great Britain in St Helens in June when the Roosters refused to release him.

"It's just a real relief," he said of being told yesterday that he would start against the Kangaroos at Mount Smart Stadium.

"I'm just really excited about putting on the black-and-white jumper and playing for the boys."

The 1.87m 100kg Soliola, who has cemented a first-grade spot at the Roosters since making his National Rugby League debut at the start of the last year, is one half of a new set of Kiwi centres.

On the other side of the field will be fellow-former Aucklander Steve Matai, who has also been close to selection for the Kiwis in the past.

The Manly midfielder was in the expanded 19-man squad for this year's Anzac test, but missed out when the playing 17 was named.

Matai, 22, has also just completed his second NRL season and he put his test call-up down to continually fine-tuning his game.

"I really worked hard on all the little things -- the one per centers," he said.

"These are the things that get you through the game. I've worked on those and it seems to have paid off."

While both he and Soliola are test rookies, Matai was confident their time so far in the NRL would serve them well against Kangaroo opposites Mark Gasnier and Justin Hodges.

"Both Sia and I have a lot of first-grade experience," he said.

"We know what to expect and we know it's going to be more intense and faster.".

Matai also said he had had no problems in settling into the Kiwi environment having already been there once before.

"I was in camp in the Anzac test, so coming on this tour I kind of knew what to expect.

"It's just a family. All the boys are tight. It's a really good atmosphere."

The inclusion of Soliola and Matai adds a look of inexperience to the New Zealand three-quarters.

On the wings, Brisbane Bronco Tame Tupou has only this year's Anzac test to his name, while New Zealand Warrior Manu Vatuvei has five caps, but has been a Kiwi for only 12 months.

However, Brian McClennan said he was excited by what he saw out wide.

"We've got young outside backs there on the edge, but there's a lot of potential there," he said.

He said Matai deserved selection for the "great things" he had been doing at Manly, while Soliola had come to be regarded as one of the Roosters' top prospects.

- NZPA