St George Illawarra stars to feature for PM's XIII

The teams, announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, will travel to Brisbane next week before a men’s and women’s double-header against Papua New Guinea. 

Experienced Kangaroos forward Tyson Frizell leads the Dragons charge in the men’s side, with the Corrimal junior set to be joined by emerging rookie Zac Lomax, Reece Robson and Ben Hunt. 

Manly-Warringah halfback Daly Cherry-Evans has been selected to skipper the side in the number seven jersey, with Hunt relegated to the hooker position. 

The move comes after Hunt was picked as halfback for Queensland ahead of Cherry-Evans for the opening two State of Origin games before he was relegated to the bench for the third, with Cherry-Evans leading the side to victory. 

The selection signals Hunt sits behind Cherry-Evans in the halfback pecking order and is seen as a utility option, rather than a first-choice number seven. 

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga said every player in the squad has the chance to press for Kangaroos selection with an impressive performance in the annual fixture. 

“Playing in Papua New Guinea is a privilege, as there really is nothing like it anywhere in the world,” Meninga said.

“We’ve struck a good balance by including some of our more experienced representative players to play alongside some very talented young players.

“A strong performance in Port Moresby on Saturday week will go some way to helping decide the final squad we take across to New Zealand for the upcoming Test matches.”

Nine Dragons women have been rewarded for their efforts in the inaugural NRL Women’s competition, with youngsters Rikeya Horne and Keeley Davis leading the charge. 

The Illawarra juniors are joined in the squad by Hannah Southwell, Melanie Howard and Avondale’s Shakiah Tungai.

Experienced Jillaroo Talesha Quinn has also been selected, alongside Dragons forwards Asipau Mafi, Holli Wheeler and Dragons development player Aaliyah Fasavalu-Fa'amausili.