Rugby League: Kiwis want to lift the national gloom

By Peter Jessup

Kiwi vice-captain Steve Kearney has not spoken to his Melbourne Storm boss Chris Anderson since he got one-up on his club coach on the international front in the 24-22 win over Australia that opened the tri-series.

"I'm sure we'll have plenty to say to each other after Friday," Kearney said yesterday of the Tri-Series final at Ericsson Stadium this Friday. "I'd love to get another one over Chris."

There is respect all round going into this game. It is huge for both teams.

The Kiwis have had Australia 0-1 down then dropped to bad losses too many times to recall. They have not won a series over the Kangaroos since 1952, and they would love to restore some national pride after the depression caused by the defeats of the Silver Ferns netball team and the All Blacks.

"We're seeing it in regard to keeping New Zealand sporting hopes alive, but at the same time we don't want to put pressure on ourselves," Kearney said.

For the Kangaroos, it is a matter of hitting for six the horrible thought that they could be the first side in 21 years to lose a series, the first in 47 years to go down to the transtasman enemy.

"We don't want to be remembered as the first losers since 1978," said halfback Brett Kimmorley. "We played more like a team against Great Britain last week. In the second half our combinations really started to work. We'll have no excuses this time."

Kimmorley agreed that slowing the Kiwis down was a real change in tactics, with the Australians adopting New Zealand's usual approach.

Kearney felt the Australians would be desperate to win, and he rated the game right up there with any he had played in terms of importance.

"It's been hard to get up again [after the grand final win at Melbourne], but it did wonders for me having achieved that," Kearney said.

"Internationals are still number one. It's always a great honour to play in the black jersey and it's good to be a part of this team with a bunch of guys full of enthusiasm."

The Kangaroos yesterday named a side largely unchanged from the opening game, with Darren Smith coming back into the centre position he held last year.

Coach Anderson said: "He brings a lot of experience - it's probably a stronger defensive unit."

There were no problems with tackling styles with Russell Richardson or Shaun Timmins, he said, it was more to do with the vision Smith's experience gave him in reading defensive patterns.

The Kiwis ran at training with no injury problems. Coach Frank Endacott will name his team today but no changes are expected.

Australia: Darren Lockyer, Mat Rogers, Darren Smith, Matt Gidley, Wendell Sailor, Matthew Johns, Brett Kimmorley, Rodney Howe, Craig Gower, Darren Britt, Bryan Fletcher, Nik Kosef, Brad Fittler. Interchange: Jason Smith, Ryan Girdler, Michael Vella, Shaun Timmins.