Rookie Kangaroos prop Ben Hannant will use Saturday night's Four Nations opener against New Zealand as an opportunity to audition for a permanent role in the Australian engine room.

Hannant was on Wednesday handed first crack at replacing veteran front rower Steve Price in the Kangaroos No.10 jumper, the Bulldogs workhorse one of three players to be handed their Test debut along with fellow prop Brett White and St George Illawarra flyer Brett Morris for the clash at the The Stoop in London.

Price and Petero Civoniceva have been mainstays up front for Australia in recent years, but with doubts over Price's future as he battles mounting pressure from NRL side the Warriors to give up rep footy, Hannant believes the opportunity is there to press for a long-term gig.

"I didn't come here for one game," Hannant told AAP following training in London on Wednesday.

"I'm still pretty young - it's a tough position, I want to be here for a long time.

"You look at all the front rowers to have played (for Australia) the last 10-15 years - it's a massive honour and a huge responsibility that I've got."

With Civoniceva - who is in line to become the most capped Kangaroos forward of all time during the Four Nations campaign - also closer to the end rather than the beginning of his football career, the selection of Hannant and White represents a changing of the guard.

Test selectors opted to leave the likes of Luke Bailey and Brent Kite - who both played in the mid-year Test win over the Kiwis - at home, with Hannant, White and fellow squad member David Shillington viewed as the future of the Australian pack.

All five of Hannant's representative appearances for Queensland have come off the bench, but the 24-year-old said he was up to the challenge of taking on the likes of Kiwi pair Fuifui Moimoi and Adam Blair from the opening whistle.

"We play against every single one of them all year (in the NRL) so we're used to playing against them and they're used to playing against us," Hannant said.

"It's about whoever rolls forward the best is going to give their backs the most opportunity to score points.

"I think the main thing (with starting) is just to prepare right. I know I've done everything at training ... it's just about doing what I've been doing week-in week-out for the club."

Initially overlooked for the 24-man squad before being called in to replace injured Brisbane star Israel Folau, Brett Morris was catapulted by coach Tim Sheens straight into his first green and gold jumper - beating out twin brother Josh and Penrith centre Michael Jennings for a start.

The only specialist winger in the squad, Morris will play on his preferred left edge with Jarryd Hayne volunteering to play on the right.

Hayne had a brilliant season playing fullback with Parramatta in 2009, but he also excelled when pushed out to the left wing for NSW in the State of Origin series prompting many to believe Sheens would leave him there for the Kangaroos.

"Me and Haynsey spoke about it and obviously I played on the left with the Dragons all year and Haynsey played fullback," Morris said.

"I just asked him what he preferred and he just said 'I'll go right, you go left' and I was happy with that."

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