The Cockatoos will travel to Melbourne tomorrow for their campaign opener, and flying with them will be St Alberts’ Tom Cullen and Tom Hollis, Armidale’s Mike TeMoana, Inverell’s Fergus McIntosh and Moree’s Heath Riggs.

The five will all be making their ARS debuts in the prestigious black and gold jersey, with only Cullen and TeMoana playing for the Cockatoos prior to this season.

That was last year’s clash with Sydney Suburban.

The pair will both start in the pack on Saturday, Cullen in the second row and TeMoana at the back, while McIntosh has been given the starting nod up front.

TeMoana was an inclusion to the 22 for the final trial against Subbies and impressed coach Paul Verrell.

“When he came on against Subbies, his work-rate was really good,” Verrell said.

“He added a bit. And they’ve got a fairly big number eight.”

Hollis comes back into the 22 after sitting out the Subbies game and has been named on the bench, while Riggs has been promoted to a (likely) starting jersey in the centres alongside former Robb centre Richie Steele.

He also made an impact off the bench a fortnight ago, and his toughness in defence was one of the qualities Verrell found appealing in giving him the starting job.

The Cockatoos are winless heading into the competition after trial losses to ACT/

Southern NSW and the Subbies, but Verrell wasn’t too concerned about those results.

“Even though we’ve had two losses we’re in a better situation than we were last year,” he said.

NSW COUNTRY: 1 Liam Vaughan, 2 Mick Lee, 3 Fergus McIntosh, 4 Adam Winter, 5 Tom Cullen, 6 Gavin Holder, 7 John Norton, 8 Mike TeMoana, 9 Luke Sullivan, 10 Paul Dan , 11 David Kennedy, 12 Richie Steele, 13 Heath Riggs, 14 Marcus Simpson, 15 Blake Creighton , 16 Josh Tremain, 17 Dave Greig, 18 Adam Dwyer, 19 Matt Dun, 20 Tom Hollis, 21 John Martin, 22 Chris Jack.