Tonga centre Robert Toia faces England's Herbie Farnworth in Saturday night's World Cup opener at HBF Park in Perth.
Tonga coach Kristian Woolf also coaches Farnworth at the Dolphins.
"It's a great battle. Herbie is obviously an outstanding player that I love working with at clubland," Woolf said.
Captain Jason Taumalolo, 33, is targeting a better result at his fourth and likely final World Cup after Tonga's 2017 semi-final loss to England, 20-18.
"What I have seen in him this year is a real hunger," Woolf said.
Injury restricted Taumalolo to 10 Cowboys games in 2025; after minor surgery, he withdrew late from Tonga's Samoa match before playing New Zealand in the Pacific Championships.
Tonga lost heavily to both sides, but Taumalolo played 24 matches this season as North Queensland reached the finals.
Taumalolo switched from New Zealand, where he played 10 Tests from 2014 to 2017, while Andrew Fifita changed allegiance from Australia; their moves helped spark Tonga's Pacific revolution.