City Origin's last halves standing Kris Keating and Trent Hodkinson can draw on a long history when they match up against the experienced Brett Kimmorley and Greg Bird.

Parramatta's Keating and Manly's Hodkinson were virtually the only halfbacks available to City when the side was picked on Sunday.

Hodkinson got the nod for the No.7 jersey with Keating named on the bench but an ankle injury to first-choice five-eighth Braith Anasta has seen the Eels playmaker promoted to pivot.

Making their rep debuts, the pair will face Country's Kimmorley and Bird, who boast a combined 24 Tests, 13 State of Origin games and six City-Country clashes between them.

In his first year of first grade, 21-year-old Hodkinson is yet to even play against Kimmorley.

But Keating, also 21, says the pair's junior years at Cabramatta and Parramatta's junior representative teams will give them confidence.

"We probably thought the chance wouldn't come again," Keating told reporters on Monday.

"We've played a lot of footy together, probably from when we were about 12 until the under-20s a couple of years ago.

"We grew up ... playing half and five-eighth so we know each other's game pretty well.

"It's probably changed a bit since Trent's gone to Manly but we'll pick it up pretty quick in the next couple of days at training."

Anasta picked up the ankle injury in Sunday's 12-8 NRL win by the Sydney Roosters over the Wests Tigers.

Eels centre Joel Reddy comes onto the City bench, while the Tigers' Liam Fulton has been named 18th man.

Keating credited his selection with bedding down the No.6 jersey at Parramatta after most of his 2009 was ruined by a broken jaw.

"I love that, I've grown up playing five-eighth so Ando (Parramatta coach Daniel Anderson) told me just to be patient," he said.

"I had a tough trot last year so I had to be patient after the side went that well last year."

Settled in the starting line-up, the off-contract playmaker is now keen to confirm his future at the Eels after being linked to Canterbury.

"Hopefully the next week or two I want to get that sorted," he said.

"I know where I am now and I've got that five-eighth spot so it makes it an easy decision for me to stay there."

City coach John Cartwright said the young playmakers wouldn't be in the squad if they couldn't get the job done.

"They're playing NRL consistently, their sides are in good form and those guys have played a big part in that," he said.

Anasta said he was unsure whether he'd be available for the Roosters' clash with North Queensland on Monday.

"I've sort of been struggling with it all year and it swelled up on me," he said.

"We'll just have to see how it goes and see how it pulls up for the rest of the week and hopefully I'll be back soon."

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