Together they've wandered the international rugby league wilderness, but Willie Tonga and Brent Tate are desperate to make up for lost time in this year's Four Nations tournament.

Forgotten in the wake of the emergence of Greg Inglis, Justin Hodges, Israel Folau, Josh Morris and Michael Jennings, Tonga and Tate are back in the green and gold after many thought their Test days were over.

Tate hasn't played for Australia since a hip injury forced him to miss Australia's World Cup final loss to New Zealand in 2008, while Tonga's spell in exile stretches back to the mid-year Test of 2005.

The pair toured with the Kangaroos in 2004 and are due to form a new combination at North Queensland in 2011, but for now their focus is playing Test football together - with uncapped Wests Tigers youngster Chris Lawrence the only other specialist centre in the Australian squad.

"You're always hopeful I guess," Tate said when asked if he'd given up securing a 20th Test cap.

"I do understand it's quite difficult to get back into this team obviously with the quality of players (around) ... but it's just nice to be on the other side of the fence.

"I've been injured the last couple of years and it's been a real fight to get back into the team and I feel really lucky to be back playing."

Inglis, Hodges, Morris, Jennings plus incumbent Jamie Lyon are all injured, while Folau is already practising his work with a Sherrin ahead of his switch to AFL.

Given the pair lost their Test spots due to injury, Tonga felt no shame in taking advantage of others misfortune.

"That was the case when I got injured - that gave someone else an opportunity," Tonga recalled.

"I think Hodgo came onto the Australian scene and made it his.

"Everything works out for a reason - it's given me a chance with Greg (Inglis) not being here, Hodgo not being here, Jamie Lyon was an incumbent as well, it gives me a chance to play and hopefully I can make the best of it."

After several years battling injury and a loss of form which prompted his shift to the Cowboys at the start of the 2009 season, Tonga said he was happy to prove wrong the critics who doubted he'd ever return to representative football.

But he also wants to do it for himself, after admitting to taking his first run in the green and gold for granted.

"It all came about all of a sudden," Tonga said of his elevation to the Test side.

"We won the comp in 04, I got selected and played every game on the tour in England and then my last game was the Anzac Test in 05 and then I got injured a couple of weeks after that - from then on it's been like a roller coaster ride.

"There as a stage there where I didn't think I'd ever play rep footy again, so to be here right now is pretty overwhelming.

"I remember specifically a few people were writing me off and saying that I'd never make it again.

"Those comments there stick in the back of my head and when I'm doing it tough, when I was injured all those times, it was my main motivation and my main focus to see if I can get back into the rep scene and ultimately wear the green and gold again."

While the battle for the two centre spots would appear to be a race in three between Tate, Tonga and Lawrence, coach Tim Sheens has thrown up the possibility of using fullback/wingers Jarryd Hayne or Darius Boyd.

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