Farah, Prince hope '05 spark gets WC nod - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Farah, Prince hope '05 spark gets WC nod

By Todd Balym 17/09/2008 07:12:55 PM Comments (0)

Wests Tigers hooker Robbie Farah hopes to rekindle some 2005 premiership sparkle with former teammate Scott Prince to help them both earn selection for Australia's World Cup squad next month.

Farah said he'd spoken to Gold Coast halfback Prince about reforming their old partnership for the Australian Prime Minister's XIII side to play Papua New Guinea on September 28 and push claims for Kangaroos selection.

With both their NRL sides dumped from the title race, the clash with the Kumuls in Port Moresby is their only chance to impress selectors ahead of the October 6 naming of the 24-man World Cup squad.

"It is obviously not ideal (to miss the finals), I haven't played footy in a while but this will give me a game under my belt and hopefully I can play well and throw my name up there," said Farah.

Farah certainly won't be lacking any fitness however as Tigers coach Tim Sheens has kept his side in full training until the October 5 NRL grand final.

Farah is an outside chance at World Cup selection, his place to be determined by whether coach Ricky Stuart wants a reserve hooker in his squad or another utility.

The Tigers have booked their end of season trip to Cancun and Las Vegas to depart on October 10, but Farah would happily cash-in his ticket for a green and gold jumper.

"I won't have any hesitation in cancelling my flight and staying here if I am in the World Cup squad," he said.

"Tim (Sheens) has us training up until the grand final at the Tigers anyway.

"He didn't want us to see it as a punishment, he just didn't want us getting into the habit of our season ending at the end of August."

Farah isn't the only member of the 18-man squad with higher aspirations than facing the Kumuls, with Nathan Hindmarsh and Craig Wing both seeking a chance to revive their flagging rep careers.

Hindmarsh will skipper the team and while he wasn't picked in the World Cup shadow squad of 46 last month, he hasn't given up hope of earning back his Test and NSW stripes.

"We have been given an opportunity to play for this side and hopefully stake our claims for a spot in the main side in the World Cup," said Hindmarsh.

The only down side for Hindmarsh for this game is that former Wallaby and St George Illawarra star Wendell Sailor pulled out of the team citing personal reasons - his place taken in the squad by Penrith Panthers five-eighth Maurice Blair after initial replacement South Sydney's Nathan Merritt was ruled out through injury.

"It would have been great to play with Dell. I played in the 2000 World Cup with him and it would have been great to play with him again," he said.

Wing meanwhile could prove a major rival for Farah in the battle for World Cup positions and after an injury-interrupted year at South Sydney the former Test utility said he wants his job back.

"I haven't played as much footy as I would have liked this year," he said.

"A lot of the guys are probably feeling a bit tired and weary after a long season, I'm actually just starting to come good.

"I would give my left arm to play for Australia again in a Test match."

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