The Herald picks the playmakers who could turn tonight's test:
New Zealand
* Jerome Ropati
Strength is his big plus. He can break a tackle and/or get an offload away. Coming from fullback, Ropati offers speed of attack at the line as he injects himself into play and his vision will
be crucial to the Kiwis' try-scoring chances.
He is a good defender and is not often left gasping out of position when at the back for the Warriors. His problem in recent games has been hanging on to the ball and that will be critical at Suncorp because the Aussies are sure to pepper him with high kicks.
* Benji Marshall
The first specialist five-eighth for the Kiwis since Gene Ngamu, Marshall made a huge impact on debut in the NRL and is rated by all coaches as well as by Darren Lockyer, who said he knew the 20-year-old would be out to show him up.
He has the pace to take the gap, the side-step and wiggle to defeat most tacklers, good hands and good ball delivery. He'll be targeted by the big Aussie forwards who will run at him repeatedly so as to tire him and take away the attacking genius, but Marshall is Mr Confidence.
Australia
* Darren Lockyer
One of the best broken-play runners in the game, with the vision to spot holes and the acceleration and pace to take them. In the absence of Andrew Johns, Lockyer is arguably the best player in the world and the Kangaroos take much heart from having him running their game-plan. On debut in 1998 he was hammered at fullback against the Kiwis at Albany but he hasn't played a bad test since.
Also has the accuracy of pass to deliver wide to the right man, plus a good short-kicking game.
* Brett Kimmorley
The Sharks halfback has the best kicking game in the NRL and could conceivably kill the Kiwis all by himself by simply denying them any field position. Close to an opponents' line his kicks are pin-point accurate and it's sure to be a tactic the Aussies will use repeatedly.
He also has one of the best long-passing games around and a knack for finding the right runner to put in a hole. The Kiwis must not give him time and space, or they'll pay.
