League: Martin a contender to start Scots test

The Kiwis are weighing up whether to change a winning formula by fielding young five-eighth Te Maire Martin in Saturday's Rugby League World Cup clash against Scotland.

New Zealand coach David Kidwell also faces some selection and injury headaches after losing centre Gerard Beale to a double leg fracture midway through the second half of the clash against Samoa at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night.

The Warriors' new signing underwent surgery yesterday and faces a lengthy recovery, with initial reports suggesting it could be four to six months before he resumes training.

Kiwis management were yesterday seeking clarity from World Cup organisers on who they can bring in as a replacement, while the Herald understands Kidwell is also considering whether to tinker with his halves pairing for the match at Christchurch Stadium.

Halfback Shaun Johnson and five-eighth Kodi Nikorima played well in their first test together and combined well with veteran hooker Thomas Leuluai but the temptation remains to give Martin a crack in the No 6 role.

The North Queensland young gun was overlooked for the Kiwis' initial hit-out as he recovered from a knee injury that dogged him through the Cowboys' run to the NRL grand final against Melbourne.

But the 22-year-old is now ready to go and the Kiwis will look to give him some game time - either off the bench or possibly in the starting side - for what should be a relatively easy assignment against the Bravehearts.

"We'll sit down as coaches [and discuss options]," said Kidwell. "We haven't had a trial game, so we'll look at the 17 that did the job [against Samoa] and think about how we're going to plan for Scotland.

"We thought we could bring somebody in [to replace Beale] but we just have to follow up on that process. But two people we've got in the squad, Dean Whare and Peta Hiku, are pretty good replacements at centre.

"We have to follow that process first on what the rules are 100 per cent for the World Cup, but [it is] likely to be another centre if we can."

Kidwell was hoping to see Beale before the Kiwis flew to Christchurch and there is concern for the 27-year-old and his family who are midway through completing their shift from Sydney to Auckland.

"It's unfortunate but our best wishes go out to Gerard and his partner, Roimata, and his kids."

The victory against Samoa was far from perfect, with the Kiwis guilty of over-playing their hand as they racked up 17 errors in a patchy display. The home side settled in to their work and controlled possession better in the second half as they extended a 10-4 lead at the break to claim a comfortable 38-8 seven-tries-to-two victory.

Kidwell expects a more polished and disciplined performance from his team on Saturday, with several members of his side not having played since the end of the NRL regular season almost two months ago.

"We definitely know 17 is too much, so we'll look to get that down this week," he said of the high error count. "We're building. A lot of guys haven't played for a lot of weeks.

"We've just got to find that balance of that Kiwis style and being smart and tough. There were a couple of crucial errors there but we'll get better as we get fitter and the tournament goes on."

The team kept a lid of celebrations post-match to ensure there was no repeat of the misbehaviour and controversy that followed in the wake of the Kiwis' Anzac test loss in Canberra in May.

"We were very grounded. We stayed in and had a feed. A lot of guys went to bed early. It was a late game but it was good to see a lot of family at breakfast.

"That's one of the things with the Kiwis family; after a late game, a lot of the guys have got young kids, so we bring them in for breakfast along with mums and dads."