Rona set to make his bow

FORMER Bulldogs star Curtis Rona is in line for a Wallabies debut on the wing against the All Blacks on Saturday night.

Wallabies winger Dane Haylett- Petty has been battling a biceps injury all week and the 28- year- old is no certainty to take his place in the opening Bledisloe Cup clash.

Rona, a Western Force teammate, is the man tipped to move into the Wallabies starting side on the wing if Haylett-Petty is ruled out. Though he played centre for the Force, Rona has been training solely on the wing since joining the Wallabies squad last month.

The New Zealand- born player, who moved to Perth at the age of eight, was a prolific try- scoring winger in the NRL.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika will name his team today and changes are expected mostly to accommodate players returning from injury.

Samu Kerevi will be named at No. 13 outside Kurtley Beale, and Sean McMahon is set to beat Lopeti Timani for the No. 8 jersey.

The All Blacks are looking at picking Damian McKenzie at fullback, with Ben Smith on the wing, and there is also talk Steve Hansen will deploy Sam Cane and Ardie Savea in the same starting backrow.

Though far lighter than Timani, McMahon’s aggression — in tandem with Hooper — will be viewed by Cheika as a weapon to disrupt the Kiwis’ ball, and match any Cane-Savea duo.

Winning a starting spot would be significant for McMahon given he recently revealed he would leaving Australian rugby to play in Japan in 2018- 19 and 2019- 20, and likely miss the World Cup.

“I am quite young and there is a lot of future left hopefully in Australia,” McMahon said.

Kerevi, who missed June with an ankle injury, said he too was fighting fit and ready to go.

“The body is feeling good and strong and I am feeling good,” he said. “We talked about our culture and our identity as Wallabies, and once we get together, every bit of negativity from the outside is left at the door.

“It’s a new environment. “The only thing that can dictate our emotions and our mindset is ourselves.”