Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart has wielded the selection axe in a bid to ensure complacency wasn't an issue for the Australians in Saturday night's Tri-Nations clash with Great Britain.

With Australia needing to win only one of its remaining two matches to secure a berth in the November 25 final, Stuart said he wanted to mix things up a little bit to keep the squad on its toes.

His plan was scuttled somewhat when Melbourne prop Antonio Kaufusi was denied a debut Test cap after injuring his hamstring at training, but there will still be four new faces from the side that beat New Zealand in Melbourne.

Prodigal son Jamie Lyon, St George Illawarra utility Ben Hornby and Brisbane flyer Brent Tate were all named for their first start of the tournament, while Willie Mason will return after missing the Telstra Dome encounter due to concussion.

Lyon will partner Mark Gasnier in the centres while Hornby gets his shot at the No.7 jumper in place of Johnathan Thurston.

Mason has been named to start in the second row as part of a monster forward pack which has Mark O'Meley and Petero Civoniceva in the front row.

"I don't see it as a risk ... Australian rugby league's fairly healthy when I can bring that quality of player in to replace the quality I have," Stuart said.

"It's very competitive for places and that's the way you want it at this level.

"We have people there putting pressure on other people, the players that are having a rest this week, they've got form on the board too, they've just come out of winning two games."

Stuart denied the chopping and changing showed a lack of respect for a Lions side which was disappointing in its opening loss to New Zealand, claiming there was no guarantee the experimenting would stop with Saturday night's Aussie Stadium encounter.

Parramatta youngster Jarryd Hayne is the only player other than the injured Kaufusi, who was selected to play, yet to get a run with Thurston, Justin Hodges, Matt King and Andrew Ryan rested this weekend.

"There's a few players who didn't want to have a rest, they feel comfortable enough with playing again," Stuart admitted.

"But it's all tactical, it's a strategy of making sure we have the best possible team to be selected come the back end of the series."

Manly-bound three-quarter Lyon, who walked out on Parramatta after just one game of the 2001 NRL season before eventually linking with English club St Helens, said he was thrilled to be pulling on the green and gold for the first time since 2000.

While Lyon's selection in the Kangaroos squad has been questioned in some quarters - in particular by former Parramatta great Peter Sterling - the ex-Eel said he had been warmly received by his Australian teammates.

"(There's been) a little bit of heckle but they've all been really good and real welcoming since I've come back," Lyon said.

"There's a lot of good players in the team, it was definitely going to be hard to get in there, it's just good now that I've got an opportunity and see how it goes."

Given his experience with playing against and alongside many members of the Great Britain side, Stuart said he would rely on Lyon to give him some pointers ahead of the match.

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