Manly coach Des Hasler is planning to exploit Lote Tuqiri's lack of match practice when the Sea Eagles take on Wests Tigers in the opening round of the NRL season.

Tuqiri has been named on the wing for next Monday's clash at the Sydney Football Stadium in what will be his first NRL appearance since 2002.

The former Brisbane star returns following an eight-year spell playing rugby with the Wallabies, NSW Waratahs, and more recently English side Leicester.

And although Hasler expects the dual international to be a huge success for the Tigers, he believes he may initially struggle to re-adjust to the 13-man game.

"He will probably find the pace and intensity of the game hard," Hasler said.

"Playing on the wing they're not doing the hit-ups and the runs but it's still a fairly active game and a lot of work for wingers just getting back, chasing, the whole lot.

"He will find it a little bit foreign."

Hasler even joked Tuqiri may struggle to remember the rules, having been out of the game for so long.

"The plan on Lote will be to kick, trap him inside his 20 and he'll kick straight out on the full over the sideline," he said.

"It's not as if he hasn't played football before. He's an outstanding athlete and he's got a lot of experience so we will see how he comes up."

Hasler has named young New Zealand playmaker Kieran Foran at halfback following Matt Orford's departure to the Super League.

Foran will line up alongside new skipper Jamie Lyon, who will start the season at five-eighth.

Parramatta coach Daniel Anderson has done little to dampen speculation that Krisnan Inu has no future at the club by naming the New Zealand centre on an extended five-man bench for Friday's showdown with St George Illawarra at Parramatta Stadium.

Inu is joined by powerhouse prop Fuifui Moimoi and new signing Shane Shackleton, with Justin Poore lining up for his debut in the front row with skipper Nathan Cayless.

North Queensland's big-summer signing Willie Mason will also start on the bench for the Cowboys' opening fixture of the season against Brisbane on Friday.

Although Mason is not fully up to speed with his fitness, coach Neil Henry said he was happy enough with his form in the trial matches to include him in a 17-man squad.

"I'd like some impact off the bench (from Mason)," Henry said.

"I thought he was good in the Darwin trial (against Gold Coast).

"He's been training really well and gradually getting back into the contact side of it."

New Warriors skipper Simon Mannering is out of his side's clash with the Gold Coast after failing to recover from a hamstring injury.

The Warriors are also without Steve Price, who is sidelined with a heel injury, so Michael Luck will lead the side at Skilled Stadium.

Titans coach John Cartwright has named new recruits Greg Bird and Joseph Tomane in his starting line-up with former Sydney Roosters prop Riley Brown included on an extended bench.

John Lang has included Sam Burgess and David Taylor in his first South Sydney side for Sunday's encounter with Sydney Roosters, who will have former Canberra five-eighth Todd Carney making his debut at fullback.

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