Australian Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has confirmed he will make mass changes to his side for the second game of the Rugby League World Cup against Scotland.
Meninga hasn't shied away from the fact previously that every player in his 24-man squad will be given at least one game during the group stage, even going so far as to suggest every spot apart from James Tedesco's was up for grabs ahead of the knockout rounds.
While Tedesco is the captain and only specialist fullback in the squad (his back up is Latrell Mitchell and Valentine Holmes, who both played the opening game at centre), it's believed all 24 players are in with a chance at being in the best 17 come the knockout rounds.
The opening game - which saw a blowout win over Fiji after a somewhat shaky start where Semi Valemei scored the first try for the Pacific Island nation and Australia struggled to attack with any fluidity - saw none of the four grand finalists in Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin play.
Also left out were Matt Burton, Campbell Graham and the suspended Lindsay Collins, who will now be available for the remainder of the tournament.
Meninga, speaking on SEN Radio, suggested all seven of the players will come into the team, while other positional swaps - including Harry Grant starting at hooker - were on the cards.
โAbsolutely they'll (the NRL Grand Finalists) be playing, I think there will be about seven of them that didn't play on the weekend, they'll all be playing against Scotland,โ Meninga said on SENQ Breakfast.
โI'll give them an opportunity to work together, obviously Ben Hunt started (at) nine but I'll probably start Harry Grant this week and James Tedesco who's the captain will start again.
โWe're trying out our spine, we had the Queensland spine plus Teddy last weekend, but we will try this combination this weekend and see how it goes.โ
Meninga also said that Cherry-Evans would get a second opportunity in the group stage and would play against Italy, while the team would be "sorted" by the semi-finals.
โDaly (Cherry-Evans) will get another opportunity, he won't play this week, but certainly against Italy he will be there," he said.
โIf it keeps on going the way it is, Lebanon played really well against the Kiwis, you'd assume that they would come second in that group so we would play Lebanon in the quarter finals.
โI'd imagine by the quarter finals I would have to have most of the team sorted out, but I'm going to give everyone the best opportunity to be involved in the semi-finals.โ
