Veteran forward Craig Fitzgibbon says he's thankful for the chance to re-ignite his Test career after being named along with four debutants in a revamped Australian side to play Papua New Guinea on Sunday.

Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart will rest several of his trump players including dynamic fullback Billy Slater, skipper Darren Lockyer and forward warhorse Petero Civoniceva from the World Cup encounter against the Kumuls at Dairy Farmers Stadium.

Manly teammates David Williams and Anthony Watmough, Brisbane winger Darius Boyd and creative Canberra five-eighth Terry Campese will make their Test debuts with Stuart rewarding them for their roles in helping prepare the Kangaroos side.

Fitzgibbon hasn't donned an Australian jumper since being part of Wayne Bennett's Kangaroos which embarrassingly lost the Tri Nations final 24-0 to New Zealand at Elland Road, Leeds.

"We're very thankful on our part, I know that," said the 31 year-old Roosters skipper who'll step out for his 16th Test against the Kumuls.

It wouldn't be easy for any player to hand over a Test jumper.

Civoniceva has played 34 Tests and is closing on St George great Johnny Raper's forward record of 39 Tests.

"I haven't asked them and I won't be," said Fitzgibbon when questioned how he thought some players may feel about giving up their Test jumpers.

"It's an opportunity Ricky (Stuart) has given us to put our best foot forward and we're very thankful, I know that.

"I guess a couple of guys may have wanted to play.

"But I'm sure someone like Anthony Laffranchi is going to get plenty of games in the future and he certainly looks like he is going to be there for a long time to come.

"You have to look at both sides. I think about guys like Josh (Perry) and Darius (Boyd) and David Williams and Anthony Watmough, those guys have now got their first chance to play for Australia.

"I'm sure those guys will be very thankful for getting their first shot."

The inclusion of Williams and Watmough along with Josh Perry and Brent Kite gives 2008 premiers Manly its biggest Test representation in a decade.

The only late change to Stuart's line-up could be if grieving halfback Johnathan Thurston - who broke camp earlier in the week to attend the funeral in Brisbane of his uncle who was brutally bashed to death - needs more time to deal with his family tragedy.

Australia's backline which ran rampant against England last weekend will feature four new faces with Karmichael Hunt back in the Test No.1 for Slater, Boyd and Williams on the wings and the highly creative Campese taking over at five-eighth from Lockyer.

Slater, man-of-the-match against England last weekend, has been given a leave pass by Stuart to freshen up for the World Cup semi finals.

Australia's rival PNG meanwhile threw caution to the wind with coach Adrian Lam naming a 20-man squad which included four players with no Test experience.

"They're going to give us a good hard crack, we know that," said Fitzgibbon.

"They'd be proud of the way they've been playing and we're certainly not thinking they're pushovers."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP