Kalyn Ponga will make his senior international debut for New Zealand after choosing the Kiwis earlier this season.
The 28-year-old Newcastle captain helped take the Knights to this year's grand final. "He has a lot of confidence in his game at the moment and we're just lucky that we have him on the side," coach Stacey Jones said.
Last year's Kiwis custodian Keano Kini will start on the reserves bench.
Jones says the team's goals extend beyond winning the World Cup: New Zealand must also keep its best young players in the black jersey.
He warned that players raised in New Zealand are representing other nations, as the Kiwis compete with Samoa, Tonga and other Pacific sides for dual-eligible talent, while also facing rugby union's pull.
"There's lots of players who grow up in New Zealand but are playing for other nations," Jones said before Thursday night's opening match against reigning champions Australia in Sydney.
New Zealand has 17 players returning from last year's Pacific Championships campaign. Jones says their familiarity with the system, including among the forward pack, gives the squad a strong balance.
For the 10-team tournament, he expects success to depend on defence and running hard with the ball. The 2026 World Cup will be played predominantly in Australia, where Jones anticipates strong Kiwi support.
"Everyone's just excited to get their first game underway."