**Tim Sheens calls on Kangaroo debutants**
By Andrew Webster in London From:
The Daily Telegraph October 22, 2009
BRETT Morris started the season in reserve grade. Ben Hannant was the new kid at a new club. And as for Brett White, he didn't know if he would play football again.
>
Yet today, those dark and uncertain days seem an eternity away after the trio received the game's ultimate reward - Test selection for the Australian Kangaroos.
>
They are the new faces in a revamped side for the opening Test match of the Four Nations tournament against New Zealand at The Stoop, Twickenham, on Saturday. (NZ have just named their team - see below)
>
Hannant will start at prop, Morris will partner Jarryd Hayne on the wings and White has found his way on to the bench.
>
The other notable selections are Storm forward Ryan Hoffman and Penrith's Trent Waterhouse forming a new back-row combination with Manly dynamo Anthony Watmough ahead of Cronulla's Paul Gallen, who has been pushed on to the bench.
>
White's blazing finish to the year, which ended in a premiership with the Storm and selection in the Kangaroos' 24-man squad that forced his wedding to fiancee Cassie Adland to be rescheduled, just keeps on going after he was named as an interchange player.
>
It's timely to remember that he missed the first six rounds of the competition after he underwent agonising surgery on both big toes for his arthritis.
>
"I truly had doubts whether I would be playing footy again,'' White said. "I certainly had my own demons in my head telling me I might not get back on the field. I was supposed to be back to 100 per cent but I couldn't even walk in runners, let alone run.
>
"But I kept working through it. Things started slow, but it's finishing really good for me. A premiership … and now I'm here in London.''
>
You bet he is. So is Morris.
>
He played the first two matches of the season in Premier League, has never played senior rep footy and was gifted a call-up to this squad when Israel Folau pulled out through injury. Now he's about to wear the green and gold.
>
"And before my brother,'' he said of his twin brother Josh, who was pushing him for the wing position. He was very excited, but he's a little bit pissed off that I'll make my debut before him. He made his Origin debut before me. So I've trumped him. But being family, he's very proud of me.
>
"If you had told me that I would be playing for Australia this year, I would've said you were an idiot and walked away. Mate, it's been a fair ride this year.''
>
Then there's Hannant, who took the bold step of leaving the warm bosom of the Broncos to join last year's wooden spooners the Bulldogs.
>
The non-drinking, non-swearing Mormon who doesn't so much break the mould of the typical front-rower but snaps it over his huge thigh.
>
Like White, Hannant had to make sacrifices to be here. He had to part with his family of wife Emma and three young children. His baby daughter, Mia, is only a month old.
>
"Being selected has a lot to do with the off-field stuff,'' he said. "I'm very happy at home, I've got a great family. All you hope for as a player is your opportunity - I'm not going to let this position go.''
\
Australian team:
1\. Billy Slater
>
2\. Brett Morris
3\. Greg Inglis
4\. Justin Hodges
5\. Jarryd Hayne
>
6\. Darren Lockyer (c)
7\. Johnathan Thurston
>
8\. Ben Hannant
9\. Cameron Smith
10\. Petero Civoniceva
11\. Anthony Watmough
12\. Trent Waterhouse
13\. Ryan Hoffman
>
Bench
14\. Brett White
15\. Sam Thaiday
16\. Paul Gallen
17\. Kurt Gidley
>
New Zealand rugby league team named today to play Australia in the Four Nations match at The Stoop in London on Saturday night:
Kiwis:
1\. Lance Hohaia
>
2\. Sam Perrett
3\. Steve Matai
4\. Junior Sa'u
5\. Bryson Goodwin
>
6\. Benji Marshall (capt)
7.Nathan Fien
>
8\. Jeff Lima
9\. Issac Luke
10\. Fuifui Moimoi
11\. Bronson Harrison
12\. Frank Pritchard
13.Adam Blair
>
Interchange:
14\. Thomas Leuluai
15\. Frank-Paul Nuuausala
16\. Iosia Soliola
17\. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
18\. Kieran Foran
19\. Ben Matulino (two to be omitted)
By Andrew Webster in London From:
The Daily Telegraph October 22, 2009
BRETT Morris started the season in reserve grade. Ben Hannant was the new kid at a new club. And as for Brett White, he didn't know if he would play football again.
>
Yet today, those dark and uncertain days seem an eternity away after the trio received the game's ultimate reward - Test selection for the Australian Kangaroos.
>
They are the new faces in a revamped side for the opening Test match of the Four Nations tournament against New Zealand at The Stoop, Twickenham, on Saturday. (NZ have just named their team - see below)
>
Hannant will start at prop, Morris will partner Jarryd Hayne on the wings and White has found his way on to the bench.
>
The other notable selections are Storm forward Ryan Hoffman and Penrith's Trent Waterhouse forming a new back-row combination with Manly dynamo Anthony Watmough ahead of Cronulla's Paul Gallen, who has been pushed on to the bench.
>
White's blazing finish to the year, which ended in a premiership with the Storm and selection in the Kangaroos' 24-man squad that forced his wedding to fiancee Cassie Adland to be rescheduled, just keeps on going after he was named as an interchange player.
>
It's timely to remember that he missed the first six rounds of the competition after he underwent agonising surgery on both big toes for his arthritis.
>
"I truly had doubts whether I would be playing footy again,'' White said. "I certainly had my own demons in my head telling me I might not get back on the field. I was supposed to be back to 100 per cent but I couldn't even walk in runners, let alone run.
>
"But I kept working through it. Things started slow, but it's finishing really good for me. A premiership … and now I'm here in London.''
>
You bet he is. So is Morris.
>
He played the first two matches of the season in Premier League, has never played senior rep footy and was gifted a call-up to this squad when Israel Folau pulled out through injury. Now he's about to wear the green and gold.
>
"And before my brother,'' he said of his twin brother Josh, who was pushing him for the wing position. He was very excited, but he's a little bit pissed off that I'll make my debut before him. He made his Origin debut before me. So I've trumped him. But being family, he's very proud of me.
>
"If you had told me that I would be playing for Australia this year, I would've said you were an idiot and walked away. Mate, it's been a fair ride this year.''
>
Then there's Hannant, who took the bold step of leaving the warm bosom of the Broncos to join last year's wooden spooners the Bulldogs.
>
The non-drinking, non-swearing Mormon who doesn't so much break the mould of the typical front-rower but snaps it over his huge thigh.
>
Like White, Hannant had to make sacrifices to be here. He had to part with his family of wife Emma and three young children. His baby daughter, Mia, is only a month old.
>
"Being selected has a lot to do with the off-field stuff,'' he said. "I'm very happy at home, I've got a great family. All you hope for as a player is your opportunity - I'm not going to let this position go.''
\
Australian team:
1\. Billy Slater
>
2\. Brett Morris
3\. Greg Inglis
4\. Justin Hodges
5\. Jarryd Hayne
>
6\. Darren Lockyer (c)
7\. Johnathan Thurston
>
8\. Ben Hannant
9\. Cameron Smith
10\. Petero Civoniceva
11\. Anthony Watmough
12\. Trent Waterhouse
13\. Ryan Hoffman
>
Bench
14\. Brett White
15\. Sam Thaiday
16\. Paul Gallen
17\. Kurt Gidley
>
New Zealand rugby league team named today to play Australia in the Four Nations match at The Stoop in London on Saturday night:
Kiwis:
1\. Lance Hohaia
>
2\. Sam Perrett
3\. Steve Matai
4\. Junior Sa'u
5\. Bryson Goodwin
>
6\. Benji Marshall (capt)
7.Nathan Fien
>
8\. Jeff Lima
9\. Issac Luke
10\. Fuifui Moimoi
11\. Bronson Harrison
12\. Frank Pritchard
13.Adam Blair
>
Interchange:
14\. Thomas Leuluai
15\. Frank-Paul Nuuausala
16\. Iosia Soliola
17\. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
18\. Kieran Foran
19\. Ben Matulino (two to be omitted)
