Mal Meninga has hailed Todd Payten's historical captaincy call on Tom Dearden as the playmaker prepares for a high-stakes, full-circle Kangaroos Test debut.
The 23-year-old will partner fellow debutant Mitch Moses in the halves for Australia on Friday night against Tonga as the Pacific Championships begin at Suncorp Stadium.
The venue was the source of nightmares for Dearden across three seasons at a battling Brisbane between 2019-2021, when he had come onto the scene with massive hype and expectation.
Eventually offloaded to North Queensland, the teenage half endured more NRL torment in an underperforming team and at one stage boasted a personal win-loss record of 5-29.
Things suddenly clicked for the Cowboys and their tough playmaker, a 17-6 2022 season kick-starting a career resurrection that will reach new heights on Friday night.
Proven pair Nathan Cleary and Cameron Munster both need off-season surgery and were unavailable for selection.
Meninga has overlooked Maroons skipper Daly Cherry-Evans and trusted five-eighth Dearden alongside the fit-again No.7 Moses.
He said Dearden's form for Queensland in a losing side and his ascension to the North Queensland captaincy - at 22 he was the youngest to earn the nod - had sealed the deal.
"It's a growth period for most players; they've got to find their feet," Meninga said of Dearden's school of hard knocks.
"Tommy had an opportunity early and you learn from your experiences.
"It was great faith by Todd to make him and Reuben (Cotter) captains."
Tongan co-captain Jason Taumalolo expects Dearden and Moses, who hasn't played since rupturing his biceps in a series-winning performance for NSW in July's State of Origin decider, to click.
"You can try and out-compete him but it's never the case with Tommy, whether he's defending or attacking, it's at 110 per cent," he said of his Cowboys teammate.
"We've just got to hope he's not jelled too much with the team and drops some balls."
Australia were shocked by Tonga in their last meeting five years ago and are coming off a 30-0 thrashing from New Zealand in their last Test.
This Tongan squad boasts one of Test rugby league's most imposing forward packs, that should give Isaiya Katoa and Tuimoala Lolohea opportunities in the halves.
Three-straight losses to New Zealand in 2014-15 were the last time Australia's lost twice or more consecutively to the same team, the first time since 1978, and cost coach Tim Sheens his job.
The significance of the occasion is not lost on Dearden, who says their last-start defeat by the Kiwis has been discussed this week.
"It was disappointing ... I know we'll be ready to go to make sure that that doesn't happen again," he said.
"It means everything; I know as a kid, playing for the Kangaroos and wearing the green and gold, it's the highest honour there is in rugby league.
"To get the opportunity to be alongside and train alongside some of the best players in the world is really exciting.
"It's about doing the right things with the ball and making sure we tackle them first. There's lots of strong carriers of the ball."
