Benji Marshall. Photo / Getty Images
The Anzac test remains the unconquerable peak for the Kiwis.
Playing in front of a crowd dominated by an army of Kiwi Gold Coast refugees, Benji Marshall's men seemed to have their best chance in years of a breakthrough victory.
But by the final whistle, nothing much had changed. The
Kiwis produced an entirely explicable performance.
They tried their best but played like a team that had been thrown together and told to attempt the borderline impossible on a couple of days' preparation.
They did plenty right but, ultimately, lacked the polish to turn their chances into points.
The Kiwis never score many points in the Anzac test, certainly never enough to beat Australia.
That won't change until the team are accorded enough time to hone their skills. There is a reason Origin matches tend to be better-quality encounters than Anzac tests and it's not that the players are any better.
The Origin combatants are given 10 days to prepare for those contests. The test sides receive four. The results are there for all to see.
Last night's match was at least a triumph for the game's emerging young talent. By halftime, Jamal Idris, Jharal Yow Yeh, Lewis Brown and Matt Duffie had announced themselves on the international stage.
Brown, a late addition in place of Greg Eastwood, was perhaps the most impressive - although Kangaroos fans would doubtless vote for Idris.
Brown's power and athleticism have been standout features of a mixed Warriors season to date and he carried that form on to the international stage.
Sam Thaiday has battered his fair share of opponents into submission in his brilliant career but he was made to look stupid by Brown's fend and acceleration as the Cantabrian set up fellow South Islander Duffie for a try with his opening touches.
In the space of a season, Brown has gone from a promising prospect to a top-flight international player. You just can't help but wonder what he and his teammates could achieve if they were given half a chance to be at their best in this match.
