Richie Barnett: Kangaroos will try to speed things up

Sam Thaiday (left) and Aaron Woods (right) will need to step up against the likes of Kiwis forward Jesse Bromwich (centre). Photo / Getty Images

Looking forward to tomorrow's Four Nations final in Wellington I am really interested to see how the Kangaroos respond to what is their greatest challenge in recent years against a confident Kiwis side.

Without some of their test regulars the Kangaroos have found themselves in a similar situation to what the Kiwis have experienced regularly over the years, in the way they have been chopping and changing players and searching for the right combinations throughout the tournament so far.

Tim Sheens will know his side has struggled for cohesion and confidence although they showed in their comprehensive win over Samoa last Sunday that they are starting to find their groove.

Against both the Kiwis and England the Kangaroos were unable to assert themselves up front and that had an impact on the likes of captain Cameron Smith and halfback Cooper Cronk, who have not enjoyed the same amount of time and space with which they usually like to attack.

The Kangaroos normally like to play a fast and dominant style of football which allows their playmakers to work freely on the edges and utilise their attacking strike-power wider out.

The fact Australia's forwards have been found wanting has restricted their options and I am sure Sheens will be challenging his forwards to step up and provide the grunt needed to put them on the front foot.

The onus will fall on props Aaron Woods and Josh Papalii to aim up and match the Kiwis in the middle while the likes of back-rowers Corey Parker and Sam Thaiday also need to produce big performances.

Sheens will know they need to vary their play a little bit this weekend and come up with a game plan that suits their style of play.

Having one referee makes it easier for teams to slow down the play of the ball and dictate the pace of the game so I believe the Kangaroos will look to move the ball to avoid getting locked into a forward battle in the middle of the park.

If they can raise the tempo of the match by spreading the ball quickly to the edges and play with some variation around the ruck, they could nullify the Kiwis' size advantage in the forwards and avoid the two and three-man tackles.

The Kangaroos are also sure to come up with at least one set-play that will target the Kiwis out wide, where they will look to isolate defenders against their quick, elusive and powerful backs, such as Dylan Walker, Michael Jennings, Sione Mata'utia and Greg Inglis.

The inclusion of Robbie Farah on the interchange bench comes as a surprise as he has not played since the first-up loss in Brisbane and has no obvious role in the side.

Sheens might see Farah as a tempo-changer but it is difficult to see Smith leaving the field in such an important match and it seems unlikely he would want to disrupt the halves pairing of Cooper Cronk and Daly Cherry-Evans.

For the Kiwis, they have a tremendous opportunity to win the Four Nations with a clean sweep and beat the Kangaroos twice in quick succession, which would be a special feat. It's also an opportunity for the New Zealand players to fulfil their potential and make their mark as a group. They have a good balance of experienced campaigners and a younger crop of stars coming through and the close bond within the squad is clear to see in the way they are gelling and playing for each other.

However, their memorable victory in Brisbane is now long gone and will mean nothing if they lose tomorrow night.

Despite all the improvements and promise in their play over the past three weeks, nothing less than another victory is acceptable.