Whare is one of three newcomers named today in the Kiwis side, along with Bulldogs prop Sam Kasiano and Melbourne second-rower Kevin Proctor. Kasiano's inclusion was expected after a terrific NRL season and Proctor has toured with the Kiwis but didn't play, but the 22-year-old Whare, who became a Manly regular this season, was a bolter.
Coach Stephen Kearney has complete faith in Whare and is predicting a big future for the centre.
"He played 20 NRL games this year and I think he performed really, really well in all of them," Kearney said. "With Shaun Kenny-Dowall out injured and Steve Matai missing, it was an opportunity to blood someone and we know he's got the capability and talent. He's young and we feel he can develop into a regular Kiwi centre for us."
Whare, who was born in Rotorua but moved to Australia in 1999, is a former Junior Kiwis and broke his leg playing for them. It delayed his first-grade career but he made an immediate impact in his NRL debut in 2010 when he scored a hat-trick against the Cowboys in Townsville.
He played four NRL games that year but only one in 2011, when Manly beat the Warriors in the grand final, before becoming a regular in 2012.
"Physically I'm definitely ready," he said. "Mentally, I got the opportunity to play with Manly in the playoffs and that will help me prepare for this game. We all have each other's backs and that will help me through that."
It will also help having Manly teammate Kieran Foran beside him on the left edge and Whare believed his combination with Foran was a reason why he was chosen.
Australia have an undoubted advantage when it comes to combinations because of State of Origin and it is one of the main reasons why the Kiwis have consistently struggled in one-off tests against their biggest rivals.
Kearney believes that advantage is narrowing through a consistent selection policy and pointed to the scorelines in the last few Anzac tests. The biggest margin has been 10 points but Australia will still go in as overwhelming favourites on Saturday.
"We have the potential and talent in this group that, if we really execute and are disciplined and focused, we have a great opportunity of getting a great result for our country," Kearney said. "We are taking steps forward. We are very confident in the group of players here that we can do a really good job."
The Kiwis will attack through their big forward pack and then hope the likes of Foran, Benji Marshall and hooker Issac Luke can take advantage of any holes in Australia's defence.
Kearney has named only one hooker in the 17-man side, with Warriors back-rower Elijah Taylor in line to step into dummy-half if Luke needs a rest. It's a role Taylor performed in one game for the Warriors this season with limited success but he's a talented footballer and can be expected to see some time there given the heat and humidity in Townsville and the fact coaches are afforded 12 interchanges in internationals.
Australia have followed convention and named two hookers in captain Cameron Smith and Robbie Farah among a powerful lineup.
New Zealand: Josh Hoffman, Sam Perrett, Krisnan Inu, Dean Whare, Gerard Beale, Benji Marshall (c), Kieran Foran, Jesse Bromwich, Issac Luke, Sam Kasiano, Frank Pritchard, Kevin Proctor, Simon Mannering. Interchange: Elijah Taylor, Ben Matulino, Greg Eastwood, Adam Blair.
Australia: Billy Slater, Darius Boyd, Greg Inglis, Josh Morris, Brett Morris, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Matt Scott, Cameron Smith (c), James Tamou, Greg Bird, Paul Gallen, Nate Myles. Interchange: Robbie Farah, Ryan Hoffman, David Shillington, Tony Williams.
