Hugh McGahan: Kiwis dodge a Samoan bullet

Shaun Kenny-Dowall dives over to score a try during the Four Nations match. Photo / Getty Images

I was incredibly frustrated watching the Kiwis yesterday but it was probably a game they needed to get out of their system.

It was scrappy, it was ugly, the left side was diabolical, but they won. There's no doubt they dodged a bullet.

You could put it down to complacency after their impressive win over Australia but I don't think that was the case. Knowing they were playing Samoa, they probably didn't go into it with the same level of conviction they did a week ago.

For 60 minutes, the Kiwis tried to play a similar way to Samoa. They went away from what worked for them last week, constantly offloading the ball and being far too adventurous, and it was no coincidence the tries they scored came from a structured approach.

The last one, of course, was scored by Shaun Kenny-Dowall, who remains an enigma. He could have been blamed for a loss but ends up winning it by scoring the winning try. There was little in that game yesterday to convince me that centre is not a position of real concern.

He wasn't the only one who disappointed. Shaun Johnson's kicking game eluded him and he was nowhere near as effective as last weekend.

But when the Kiwis needed to knuckle down, they were able to do it and always looked like they had the ability to win the game.

Samoa played well and proved they are not only a good side but an improving one. They don't have the depth of New Zealand who, in turn, can't match the depth of the Kangaroos, but they can now field a side with totally recognisable players. Five years ago, there would always have been a handful of unknowns.

It's become more apparent players need to be in the NRL if they want to make it at the very top and it's why more and more English are heading Down Under. The first three games of the Four Nations have been good for international league. They have all been tough, competitive matches and Samoa just needed a bit of luck to upset one of the big boys.

England will be primed for a big one against Australia today and, while I think the Kangaroos will be better than they were against New Zealand, I can see them getting knocked over.

If England can win, they will be through to the final against the Kiwis and, remarkably, the world champions will be out. It would then set up a classic couple of games between the Kiwis and England, when the English will have last year's World Cup semifinal on their minds.

But the Kiwis will at least approach those games with more conviction than they did against Samoa. Not that that would be hard.