Radike Samo narrowly missed playing a Rugby World Cup for Fiji in 2003 but the Wallabies' ageless warrior is on the verge of seeing his "dream come true" eight years later.

Samo, 35, looms as the man who could deny blockbusting No.8 Wycliff Palu, or even veteran lock Dan Vickerman, a spot in Australia's 30-man squad for next month's tournament.

Coach Robbie Deans will name his Cup squad on Thursday morning and the reactivated Queensland Reds forward is crossing his fingers he'll be there as the biggest feel-good story after his career appeared over 18 months ago.

"I got past the last two World Cups and to come back this year, I didn't think I would be in this position," said Samo, who changed allegiances and played six Tests for Australia in 2004.

"To me, it'd be like a dream come true. Everybody wants to play in the World Cup so you don't want to miss it."

Samo believed his professional rugby days were dead following stints in France and Japan in early 2010 but a call from Reds coach Ewen McKenzie following a spate of second-row injuries thrust him back into Super Rugby.

He immediately made an impact and his form has continued to surprise this season, capped by an impressive 15-minute cameo off the bench in the Wallabies weekend win over South Africa, particularly with his specialist skills at the back of the scrum.

Samo is in line to start at No.8 ahead of Ben McCalman and Scott Higginbotham in next week's Bledisloe Cup Test against New Zealand in Brisbane.

Former Australian Rugby Union high-performance director Pat Howard, who played a major role in recruiting Deans four years ago, felt Samo was a must in Australia's team.

"I'd have to pick him," said Howard, a former ACT Brumbies teammate.

"I don't think any of the others have got his (No.8 scrum) skills. That's his point of difference and, if we are to have a tough scrummaging day, that's the solution."

Despite being highly regarded and a key pack member in 2009, Palu hasn't played for the Wallabies for the past two seasons due to a string of injuries.

A cracked shoulder-blade ended his Super Rugby season for NSW, while knee surgery during his rehab this month has put the bulldozing ball-runner under extra pressure.

Deans could take both Palu and the 197cm-tall Samo, as well as McCalman, but only if he selects three specialist locks (James Horwill, Nathan Sharpe and Rob Simmons) and leaves out Vickerman.

Samo has the height and second-row experience to be a lock option.

The other contentious selection in the forward pack is the fourth prop position with Reds loose-head Ben Daley battling to nudge out Brumbies tight-head Salesi Ma'afu.

Ma'afu, who is yet to play since breaking his arm in May, was on the Wallabies bench in Durban but didn't see time, while Daley has made his return from shoulder injury in clubland.

Former Test captain Andrew Slack rates the mobile Daley the best footballing prop in the country but his all-round skills might be gazumped by Ma'afu's superior scrummaging work.

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