Kangaroos veteran Craig Fitzgibbon has warned it won't be all smooth sailing for hot favourites Australia when the Rugby League World Cup begins in two weeks time.

The Kangaroos will head into the 10-team tournament beginning on October 25 as massive favourites at $1.20, with unpredictable New Zealand $6.50 and England $7.

While most consider it a fait accompli Kangaroos captain Darren Lockyer will lift the World Cup at Suncorp Stadium on November 22, Fitzgibbon, who this week received another surprise call-up to the Australian squad, isn't counting his chickens.

"I think at any stage in any competition in rugby league it's so variable," the 31-year-old told AAP.

"Who would have predicted the grand final score? I don't think there would have been anyone who's ever seen a game of rugby league predicts 40-0.

"It's all up in the air I think.

"I've got a funny feeling you're going to see some pretty good footy and a few upsets along the way.

"I wouldn't imagine it's going to be all smooth sailing."

Wayne Bennett warned while he was still Kangaroos coach that New Zealand could surpass Australia as the world's No.1 rugby league nation, but Fitzgibbon isn't sure the Kiwis will be the greatest threat.

"We haven't seen the others play yet so you'd be a bit loathe to pick one and write the others off," he said.

"They've gone through a bit of a transition, New Zealand. They've lost Stacey Jones and Ruben Wiki, Logan Swann, a couple of older guys are moving on.

"Now they've got a new wave coming through so sooner or later they're going to find their feet. Whether that's this World Cup or whatever I guess we're about to find out.

"They've got a young, exciting squad so they're certainly a side to be wary of."

Fitzgibbon is enjoying a late career renaissance, with his call-up for Australia following his shock selection for the NSW State of Origin side earlier this year.

The rangy back-rower hadn't played for either representative side since 2005.

"I didn't know if it was ever going to come around again and it has," he said of his selection in Ricky Stuart's 24-man squad.

"When I heard the news the other day I was just so overwhelmed with happiness."

He said the key to his late-blooming career was simple - stop thinking like a prop forward.

"It's just so hard when you think a certain way about how you play footy and for me I was obviously just a worker for so many years that the only thing you knew was just to go in and tackle everyone and run the ball as many times as you can.

"I was playing front row for a little while there and just had to change my mentality.

"We recruited some big go-forward men (to the Sydney Roosters). I'm not big enough to bb a go-forward man but that's what I was trying to be and it just didn't work out.

"Now with guys around me that can be, I can go back to my natural role a little bit."

Meanwhile, scans on Kangaroos centre Justin Hodges' injured shoulder have been sent to specialist Peter Rowan who is expected to assess them on Monday.

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