City coach Tim Sheens has laughed off a suggestion from former Test prop Steve Roach that the City forward pack would be in for a restless night's sleep worrying about their Country counterparts.

Roach, named on Wednesday night in the Country team of the century, fired the intimidatory barb as he weighed up the relative strengths of the two forward packs for Friday night's WIN Stadium encounter.

"I think you'll see a lot of passion from our blokes, I reckon there'll be a few City blokes that are sleeping tonight and will be a little bit restless," Roach, an assistant coach with the Country side, said.

"When you look at our side I don't think there's any secret to the way we're going to play."

Country boast a pack littered with Test experience - the backrow of Craig Fitzgibbon, Andrew Ryan and Nathan Hindmarsh with 41 Australian caps between them.

Throw in 24 Test veteran Danny Buderus at hooker and NSW State of Origin prop Brett White up front with the form forward in the competition in Anthony Laffranchi, and it's easy to see why Roach thinks the City pack might be running scared.

But Sheens backed his novice group to more than hold their own up the middle, despite Mark O'Meley's 10 Origin games and 15 Tests being the only representative experience amongst the City pack save for Luke Lewis' appearances for NSW and Australia as an outside back.

"I don't see any of my boys trembling," Sheens said.

City got a boost on Thursday, with O'Meley giving his tender hamstring a thorough workout in the side's final training run, the Sydney Roosters hard man a definite starter.

Sheens said he was pleased with how his side had come together, the veteran coach more content with the extended preparation after getting just one training session with the side last year.

Also helping matters was the fact halves Braith Anasta and Mitchell Pearce brought an NRL club combination into camp, though Sheens denied that should be enough to get the duo into the NSW side at No.6 and No.7.

"There's no doubt there's a connection there," Sheens said.

"This year's been a lot better and it has been helped by the combination, not that I'd be arguing that that's a must, but it certainly helps.

"Anyone that's worked with rep sides through the years knows, you look at (Allan) Langer and Wally Lewis or Langer and Kevvie Walters or (Ricky) Stuart and (Laurie) Daley, there were some obvious advantages to having the club combination."

Wests Tigers prop Keith Galloway will remain with the City squad as 18th man after being called into camp as cover for O'Meley.

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