Lining up opposite players that share his Tongan heritage, in a different world Frizell could have been wearing a red jersey rather than a green and gold one.

However, as a proud Australian born and bred in Wollongong, Frizell said it's the Kangaroos jumper that he has always sought.

"I've always wanted to play for Australia," Frizell said. "Maybe the opportunity to play for Tonga might have come, but I look back and all I wanted to do was put on the green and gold jersey. I'm doing that at the moment and trying to hold my spot for as long as I can.

"I was quite excited to play against Tonga last year and with the crowd and support they had, being of Tongan heritage, it was quite nice to come up against that. It's an experience in itself, no matter who you are, playing against them."

Tonga may be experiencing political turmoil off the field, however that doesn't appear to have had a negative impact on their performance on the pitch.

Officially a Tongan Invitational XIII, the side claimed a 14-6 win over Great Britain in Hamilton on Saturday.

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Australia also enter the match with confidence, having defeated New Zealand at WIN Stadium on Friday night and with the Kangaroos claiming a 34-16 victory over Tonga last year, Frizell is expecting a brutal encounter on Saturday.

"There's going to be 17 proud Tongan boys that are going to come out there and perform at a high level against us.

"No matter what they're wearing or whatever name they come under, at the end of the day, they're proud Tongan boys that are representing their country and they're going to be on fire and want to get one back on us."

Saturday's match comes as the resurgence of international rugby league continues to gather steam, with the clash the third of a triple header at Eden Park.

Samoa and Fiji will open proceedings, before the Kiwis take on the Lions and the Kangaroos clash with Tonga.

The Australians have done their bit to grow the game, with Mal Meninga overhauling the team's culture since taking over as coach in 2015.

For Frizell, who made his Test debut in 2016, that has seen Kangaroos selection become the most sought after individual honour for Australians in the NRL.

"Mal's come in and tried to change the culture," Frizell said. "He's put that Aussie jersey as the number one priority at the end of the year that boys want to look to strive towards.

"There's a rich history and a lot of guys that have gone before us have put on the green and gold jersey.

"As much as it is to represent your state and play in that (Origin) arena, there's no better feeling than putting on the green and gold jersey.

"The more we can get other international teams to produce some quality players and the Tongan and Samoan teams are doing that at the moment, the more the international game will grow."

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