BILLY Slater's hot form has ensured his first Australian jersey, with the Melbourne full-back yesterday named among five Storm players included in the Kangaroos' team for next month's clash against New Zealand.
Slater will join Storm teammates, hooker Cameron Smith, back-rower Ryan Hoffman and Greg Inglis and Israel Folau, who will line up on the wings, in the Kangaroos jersey. However, the Storm contingent, which numbered seven for last October's 58-0 romp over New Zealand, did take a cut with Cooper Cronk losing the half-back berth to Johnathan Thurston and back-rowers Dallas Johnson and Michael Crocker dumped.
Slater had been in a contest with Manly's Brett Stewart, who beat him to the No. 1 jersey last year, but Queensland-based Test selector Des Morris said Slater's form meant there was no disputing his place.
"He was obviously the form full-back and he deserves the opportunity he's got," Morris said.
Australian coach Ricky Stuart also backed Slater, who has scored seven tries, set up several others and been a constant threat on the kick returns.
"He has been rewarded for good form," Stuart said. "There are a number of great full-backs in the game and for Billy to get selected shows he is the elite at the moment."
Storm coach Craig Bellamy said Slater, who has not played at the representative level since he was dumped from the Queensland state-of-origin team in 2005, deserved his chance after arguably being the best player in the National Rugby League during the first seven rounds.
Slater was joined as the team's debutants by North Queensland's Carl Webb and the Sharks Gallen, who had been picked for last year's end of season Test against New Zealand but had to withdraw with a shoulder injury.
However, Slater had a late scare when he received an eye injury during Saturday night's clash against the Cowboys. His right eye blew up and closed within minutes of being accidentally poked by a stray Thurston finger and he did not play from midway through the first half.
" It's good mate. It's come good over probably the last 12 hours, it's opened right up so it feels pretty good," he said. "Once I could start opening my eye lid I was pretty sweet. The doctor said I had done a little bit of something to the … nerve and couldn't control my eyelid. So once that all kicked back in I was fine."
Stuart, wary of a scorned Kiwi side with new coach Stephen Kearney at the helm, made seven changes to his team which thumped New Zealand 58-0. Gallen joined Cronulla teammate Greg Bird and Hoffman in an imposing new-look backrow after incumbent "workers" Johnson and Eels stalwart Nathan Hindmarsh were dumped.
"We're going to be moving into a real battle and a real war," said Stuart.
Brisbane's Darren Lockyer returns as captain at five-eighth after a knee injury, while Thurston and centre Justin Hodges were reinstated after missing last year's clash with injuries. Stuart said Storm second-rower Crocker, along with Hindmarsh, had been unlucky to be dropped.
With AAP
