Ageless Kumuls warrior Stanley Gene looked at his young players training on a field in Ipswich and suddenly wished he could pull the boots back on and join them in battle.

He certainly looked fit enough to play against Australia in Sunday's Four Nations series opener in Sydney but his job now is to coach PNG, the 125-1 tournament outsiders.

"I'm gutted I couldn't put my boots on and play with them because we've got so much talent in this group of boys," said Gene, the Kumuls legend who wore PNG's colours in 26 Tests until retiring last year.

However Gene, a late coaching replacement for Adrian Lam, politely warned Australia his band of rugby league nobodies would be no pushovers.

Gene said his unknown PNG players were loaded with raw talent and spirit and would not fold easily even against players they loved watching back home in the villages on TV.

"It's a dream for these boys to play Australia," said Gene.

"They watch them on TV, they want to touch them, feel them.

"We've never been inside a gym; the Aussies train, eat and sleep football.

"Our boys just turn up and play, but we won't want be a pushover.

"This is an opportunity for these players to put themselves in the shop window and hopefully get a contract in Australia or England."

PNGRL president Gary Juffa was not surprised when told Gene wanted to pull the boots back on.

"That doesn't surprise me, he's actually still very fit," Juffa told AAP.

"He could still play, I'm certain of it.

"But he's the general and the general cannot go out on the field of battle. He stays on the sidelines and conducts the strategy."

The Kangaroos are anticipating a very physical approach from the Kumuls, who have nothing to lose by taking it to an Australian side missing an number of key players and still making changes with Wests Tigers winger Lote Tuqiri called up on Tuesday to replace excitement machine Jarryd Hayne (hamstring).

Australian fullback Billy Slater said the Kumuls would not hold back on Sunday.

"I've got no doubt it'll be nice and physical," said Slater.

"That's the way they play their football, the Papua New Guineans love their football.

"This will be an experience of a lifetime for a lot of them so they'll be coming out and they'll be hitting hard, they'll be running hard, they'll be throwing the ball around.

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