Experienced Test players Robbie Farah, Josh Papalii, Ryan Hoffman, Greg Bird and Beau Scott will feature, plus NSW duo Aaron Woods and Daniel Tupou. While NSW coach Laurie Daley will mentor the side, Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens will oversee the camp.

Woods is set to be rewarded with his first Test jersey. The likes of Paul Gallen, Andrew Fifita, James Tamou, David Shillington, Nate Myles and Trent Merrin are unavailable. Matt Scott is also battling injury and unlikely to play.

Back-rower Papalii and Sam Thaiday could push up front to partner Woods, while the likes of Brenton Lawrence, Dylan Napa and Jacob Lillyman are looking to make their Test debuts. Canterbury props Aiden Tolman and Dave Klemmer are also in line for shock call-ups.

Greg Inglis will be fullback with Billy Slater injured. Jarryd Hayne will play centre, while Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk will be the halves. The rest of the back line remains largely unsettled with incumbents Brett Morris and Darius Boyd unavailable. Brent Tate has retired.

Daniel Tupou and Josh Mansour will play against PNG on Sunday and strong performances could propel them to the Test arena. South Sydney's Alex Johnston is also close to capping a dream debut season with a Test spot.

Josh Morris will be the Kangaroos centre provided he is passed fit, but he remains in severe doubt with an ongoing knee injury. That opens the door for Dylan Walker or Michael Jennings to partner Hayne at centre.

Luke Lewis is also unavailable through injury.

After an impressive Origin debut on the wing, Will Chambers could also force his way into the squad.

Bird – who will captain the Prime Miniter's XIII – should start in the Kangaroos' back row with Hoffman, Scott and Corey Parker other candidates. Josh Jackson is another Test bolter.

Cameron Smith will captain the Kangaroos, while Farah is battling to keep his place as back-up hooker as pressure mounts from Sydney Roosters No.9 Jake Friend. Manly half Daly Cherry-Evans will reprise his role as the bench utility.

The Prime Ministers XII will meet in Cairns on Thursday before flying to PNG on Friday for Sunday's game. They will return on Monday and the squad for the Four Nations will be selected the following day.

Australia open their Four Nations campaign with a match against New Zealand in Brisbane on October 25, followed by games against England (in Melbourne) and Samoa (in Wollongong). Wellington will host the Four Nations final on November 15.

Meanwhile, NRL chief executive Dave Smith backed the judiciary's decision to suspend Issac Luke from Sunday's grand final.

"We are trying to get rid of spear tackle," Smith told Triple M. "By any standards this game is in a good place. Premiership crowds this year are about 3 to 4 per cent up. We're not-for-profit, all the money we make goes back into the game.

"We're already growing the sport, and I think we need to consider expansion very, very closely"

Smith also said Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan had "got a bit of work to do" before he returned from his Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority ban.