Of particular interest to selectors will be the performances of Storm forwards Jordan McLean and Dale Finucane, who are in line for places in the Australian team to be named by Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga.

Captain Cameron Smith and halfback Cooper Cronk are considered certainties for the Kangaroos if they are fit, and the pair are likely to be joined by Melbourne fullback Billy Slater, centre Will Chambers and five-eighth Cameron Munster.

Storm winger Suliasi Vunivalu will line up for Fiji, while forwards Tohu Harris and Kenny Bromwich are expected to be selected by New Zealand, along with interchange prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona, who will play for Samoa if overlooked by the Kiwis. Melbourne backrower Felise Kaufusi will play for Tonga.

North Queensland also have 11 players in line for World Cup selection, headed by five-eighth Michael Morgan and prop Matt Scott, who is expected to be chosen by Meninga even if he does not play in the grand final.

Centre Justin O’Neill is also a chance of being selected for the Kangaroos after making a successful return from injury during the finals series, while hooker Jake Granville had been pencilled in for the Prime Ministers XIII if he wasn’t still playing finals football.

Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo will be one of the first players picked by Kiwis coach David Kidwell and he could be joined by rookie five-eighth Te Maire Martin, while fullback Lachlan Coote and centre Kane Linnett will play for Scotland if they are fit.

Winger Antonio Winterstein is likely to be included in the Samoa team, along with utility John Asiata, although he is playing with a broken hand that may sideline him from the World Cup. Ray Thompson, named on an extended bench, is eligible for Papua New Guinea.

Whether the Kumuls can afford to select the versatile Thompson remains to be seen after he announced his retirement due to injury. PNG coach Michael Marum is also the Hunters coach and all 17 players who last week won the Queensland Cup grand final are in contention.

The Hunters play NSW Cup winners, Penrith, in the curtain-raiser to the NRL grand final and the Panthers also have six players in line for World Cup selection.

They include fullback Mason Cerruto, who has been named in an extended Italy train-on squad, along with Luke Polselli from the Manly Under 20s team playing Parramatta in the last match of the National Youth Competition, which is being disbanded after this season.

Penrith’s Maika Sivo and Viliame Kikau are eligible for Fiji, while Sione Katoa and Sitaleki Akauola have previously represented Tonga and winger Lachlan Stein is a member of the extended Scotland squad announced earlier in the season.

By Brad Walter | @BradWalterSport
Chief Correspondent, RLWC2017