MELBOURNE Storm physical performance coach Alex Corvo yesterday called on Australia to better manage the game time of Test hooker Cameron Smith, who he believed was unnecessarily left on the field while the Kangaroos ran away to a 52-4 thumping of England in the World Cup game at Telstra Dome last Sunday.

But Corvo's concern about the Storm skipper brought a sharp reply from Australian coach Ricky Stuart. "Alex Corvo is a strength and condition coach and he should stick to (that)," Stuart said.

Australia has been left without a back-up hooker and dummy half after Kurt Gidley was forced to withdraw from the tournament last week with a knee injury. That meant Smith, who before playing in the first two games of the tournament had not played since the second week of the National Rugby League finals series, was required to play the full 80 minutes against England in a game that was effectively over at half-time.

Corvo said he was concerned that Smith "probably looked (more) tired than he did look during the season at times".

"That (playing the full game) is a big expectation (and) is something I believe that the coach needs to look at because he's a very important player to their campaign and why he had to play 80 minutes when the game was well and truly over, I don't know," Corvo said.

"It's all about being clever and how he (Stuart) handles players as well, so I would have thought (Smith) deserved a rest at some stage."

But Stuart said he was left with little choice.

"Who was I going to put at hooker (on Sunday) night? Kurt Gidley got injured, you tell me who we were going to put to hooker," Stuart said.

"You can tell Alex he does a very good job at strength and conditioning, so he should stick to (that)."

Corvo also called on Stuart to rest Smith for Sunday's final pool game against Papua New Guinea. "He's in good enough shape to recover and play again next week … (but) that would probably be an ideal time to perhaps rest him, but given the injury to Kurt Gidley, I believe that they don't have any other options. I'm only saying what I think from a distance, but it would make sense to rest him up at some stage."

Stuart is set to rest a number of his top-line team for the game against Papua New Guinea, but Smith is unlikely to be among them..

Kangaroos captain Darren Lockyer, Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Steve Price and Petero Civoniceva are among those likely to be rested.

It is also unclear whether half-back Johnathan Thurston will play after he went to Brisbane yesterday for the funeral of his uncle, who died after being assaulted in a park 10 days ago.

Stuart indicated after the win over England that the shoulder injury that sidelined Thurston was unlikely to prevent him from playing next weekend, but there are concerns about what mental state the star half-back will be in.

Coming into the team are Canberra five-eighth Terry Campese, the nephew of Wallabies great David Campese, Manly winger David Williams, second-rower Anthony Watmough, St George Illawarra-bound Broncos centre Darius Boyd and Roosters veteran Craig Fitzgibbon .

Papua New Guinea looks set to lose prop Makali Aizue for Sunday's clash after he was charged by the World Cup match committee yesterday with making unnecessary contact with the head or neck following a grapple tackle on New Zealand winger Sam Perrett.

Tournament match review commissioner Greg McCallum has recommended a one-match penalty.

Samoan prop Kylie Leuluai also faces a one-match ban for a careless high tackle on Tonga's Fetuli Talanoa, while Papua New Guinea winger David Moore and Tongan centre Tevita Leo-Latu both escaped penalty from the match committee and were issued cautions.

With BRAD WALTER and AAP