Lebanon's World Cup campaign begins against Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby on Saturday, and Alex Twal is aiming to lead the Cedars beyond the quarter-finals.
The Wests Tigers forward will captain Lebanon for the first time after missing the 2022 tournament through injury. The Cedars reached the quarter-finals in 2017 and 2022.
Lebanon will be without injured five-eighth Adam Doueihi, while half Mitchell Moses is representing Australia.
Twal last represented Lebanon at the 2017 World Cup and said playing for his mother's birthplace had been on his calendar for a long time.
"I missed the last World Cup through injury, which was disappointing, but I've had this written down on the calendar for a long time and I'm looking forward to it," Twal said.
He said the team's love for its country and people would drive them, adding, "Aggression is what we will bring, but playing with passion is very important for us."
At Monday's fan day at Langlands Park, head coach Michael Cheika led training with assistance from Matt King, Robbie Farah, Nick Davis and Will Genia.
Farah backed Twal's appointment, saying, "His game really evolved this year and in my opinion he was by far the best player for the Tigers week in and week out."