"Trying to go forward when your forwards aren't isn't too easy, but he's got that X-factor in him.
"But it all comes back to winning the middle first. If that roll-on doesn't happen they don't get that momentum and get through."
Having watched from the stands as Tonga roared back from 16-2 down at halftime to pile on five second-half tries at Waikato Stadium, Martin knows the onus is on him and Shaun Johnson to improve the side's kicking and option-taking on attack.
"Obviously last week didn't go to plan and that's footy sometimes, so it's pretty exciting being a part of this group knowing there's no next week," he said.
"I've seen what could be done a little bit better and we've gone through that as a spine this week."
The two halves have been rooming together throughout the campaign and Martin says their growing friendship is helping them to gel out on the park.
"Everything flows pretty nicely at training. We'll soon see when it comes to Saturday but we connected pretty well in our last game against Scotland and that comes off the back of how our forwards played.
"He's pretty easy to get along with. He's got a lot of experience too with his kicking so it makes my job easier when he's doing his job really well.
"We're getting a lot closer and it's pretty cool to be around those kind of people - you grow up watching them and then get to play alongside them and be roommates with them.
"It's all getting really comfortable now and that shows on the field when you've got that combination going."
