Kiwis stalwart Thomas Leuluai has confirmed he'll play mostly hooker in this year's Rugby League World Cup, paving the way for a halves combination of Shaun Johnson and Te Maire Martin.
With incumbent five-eighth Kieran Foran out for the tournament, coach David Kidwell's playmaking stocks are spread fairly thin.
Warriors star Johnson and North Queensland young gun Martin are Kidwell's sole specialist halves, while Leuluai and Brisbane's Kodi Nikorima can play several roles.
Fresh off an English Super League season with Wigan, Leuluai will vie with Newcastle youngster Danny Levi for the Kiwis' No.9 jumper.
"It's good (to) cover for both, but I'll focus on dummy half - I'm happy with that, it's fine, done it my whole career," Leuluai said.
"Obviously I can play in both positions."
The 32-year-old Leuluai has spent most of his club career for Wigan and the Warriors playing in the halves, but has predominantly packed down in the scrum for the Kiwis.
He backed Martin, who recently played an NRL grand final for the Cowboys, to shine in the role.
"He's a great player and had a great year, a bit of a whirlwind - looking forward to getting into camp with him," Leuluai said.
"His confidence must be through the roof and that's sort of what we need."
Having departed the NRL at the end of 2016 to return to northern England, where he'd enjoyed a previous six-year spell, Leuluai admitted his World Cup selection came as something of a shock.
He's just one of two England-based players - along with departing Warrington utility Peta Hiku - to be named in Kidwell's 24-man squad.
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