Josh and Brett Morris will be reunited for Australia in Townsville next Saturday after Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens named the twins in his Test side to face New Zealand.
The pair last donned the green and gold together against France during the 2009 Four Nations campaign and scored two tries apiece.
But since that 42-4 win in Paris they’ve only played together once when Ricky Stuart selected them for NSW in this year’s third State of Origin clash in Brisbane.
That game in the French capital saw the 26-year-olds become the first set of twins to play for Australia since Kevin and Kerrod Walters in 1991.
But the encounter with the Kiwis at Dairy Farmers Stadium will be the first time they’ve played on the same side of the field since their St George Illawarra days.
Josh joined Canterbury at the start of 2009 and has been a regular at left centre for the Bulldogs.
However, with Brisbane’s Justin Hodges unavailable due to injury, and Greg Inglis being Sheens’ first-choice No.3, Morris will revert to the role he occupied with great success for NSW this year.
“I know that it’s foreign to Josh to play on the right side when he plays on the left for his club,” Sheens said.
“But he played there for NSW during State of Origin and he handled it very well, so I can’t see how he won’t be able to handle it in this game.
“They’ve got a link together, they play well together and there is plenty of speed. I am pretty excited about the edges and we look pretty strong on both sides of the field.”
Melbourne back-rower Ryan Hoffman is rewarded for a strong season highlighted by Sunday’s premiership win on Sunday with a recall to the international set-up for the first time since 2009.
With a plethora of back-rowers including Sam Thaiday and Anthony Watmough unavailable due to injury, Sheens said he has no hesitation in selecting Hoffman.
“Ryan’s played for me in `09 and then had a stint overseas and he’s come back a more mature player, and played well this year,” Sheens said.
“If Thaiday and Watmough had been available it may have been different, but he has been one of the form forwards this year and gone all the way to the grand final.”
