League: Top 10 Kiwis wins over the Roos

The Kiwis celebrate with the world cup trophy after winning the 2008 Rugby League World Cup Final. Photo / Getty Images

1. 2008 - World Cup Final

Top of the tree has to be the 2008 World Cup win in front of a rabid Aussie crowd at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, the first time the Kiwis have won the huge solid silver trophy since the tournament began in 1954.

Great Britain won that inaugural competition in Paris and were champions in 1960 and 1972, Australia winning nine times including six straight from 1975 to 2000.

The Kiwis were given little chance, especially since the captain Roy Asotasi, second rower Frank Pritchard, fullback Brent Webb and other players were unavailable due to injury and Sonny Bill Williams had departed for rugby union.

And when the Aussies shot out to a 10-0 lead after 16 minutes, it seemed a script was being followed.

But New Zealand muscled up and in the 28th minute Jeremy Smith barged over and their game changed as confidence kicked in. There was controversy when Anthony Laffranchi was ruled to knock the ball on and in following plays David Fa'alogo sent centre Jerome Ropati away to score. Benji Marshall's goal meant the Kiwis led 12-10.

The Kangaroos scored through Greg Inglis, the Kiwis through Lance Hohaia and so it came down to the last minutes.

More drama followed when Kangaroos centre Joel Monaghan was ruled to have held back Hohaia in a chase for the ball as it bounced in the Australian in-goal and referee Ashley Klein and video reviewer Steve Ganson ruled penalty try.

And then the Kangaroos' Billy Slater sealed things, covering a kick near the right touchline he threw a wild infield lob when monstered by Kiwis wing Manu Vatuvei.

Marshall was there to accept the ball and score the decider.

The Aussies coach Ricky Stuart was magnanimous immediately afterwards, saying: "Please don't make this too much about Australia. They were better than us tonight."

He was less magnanimous later.

Back at the team hotel and, upon running into Klein, Stuart called the referee "a f****** cheat" among other things and so was later sacked. That was almost as enjoyable as the victory on the field.

2. 2005 - Tri-Nations Final

The 2005 Tri-Nations final win under Brian "Bluey" McClennan has to take second spot because it was only the second time the Kiwis have held the Kangaroos to a zero score and it was the first time since 1952 that the Kiwis had won more than one match in a three-game series.

The amazing Stacey Jones left the team camp to fly to Auckland for the birth of his son and returned on the Thursday ahead of the Sunday final. There was no jet lag evident as he placed accurate kicks from which centre Paul Whatuira and wing Manu Vatuvei scored.

Heavy defence and gang-tackles drove the Kangaroo's wingers over the sideline and forced errors in midfield and the Australians responded by complaining endlessly to English referee Steve Ganson.

He penalised them twice for tackle infringements and Jones' two penalties took the score to 16-0 by the break.

David Solomona and Ali Lauitiiti sat on the bench through the first 40 but their impact was palpable in the second.

In the 52nd minute fullback Brent Webb sped into the line to take a short pass from Jones and split the Aussies open. When the Little General converted the Kangaroos knew they were gone.

3. 1937 – Carlaw Park

The second test in 1937 at Carlaw Park was won 16-15 by the Kiwis after the first test had gone 12-8 to the Aussies.

George Nepia was at fullback, having shifted from rugby union.

He had been left out of the first test team but was elevated after an outstanding display for New Zealand Maori, who beat the Aussies by 16-5.

It was noted at the time that Nepia's presence gave the whole team confidence they could win and, sure enough, he was outstanding. He was praised for excellent field-kicking which regularly extracted the Kiwis from trouble as well as tough defence.

The Kangaroos lost back Joe Pearce with a broken leg as he dived at Nepia in a tackle attempt, and forward Jim Gibbs with busted ribs, and finished the game with 11 men - no injury interchanges in those days. But the brave Kiwis had totally dominated the much-fancied Kangaroos forward pack.

4. 1952 - Sydney Cricket Ground

The 1952 test team featured the remarkable talent of Des White as goal-kicking fullback, speedster Cyril Eastlake on the right wing and Tommy "The Gun" Baxter at centre, George Menzies at five-eighth and tough forwards in Jimmy Haig, Lory Blanchard and Frank Mulcare.

They had lost the first test 25-13 in Sydney in front of 56,326 people and won the second 49-25 in Brisbane with the crowd put at 29,243 before returning to the Sydney Cricket Ground to win 19-9 in front of a crowd of 44,916.

The Australian press said the Kiwis had made a laughing stock of their team in test two and seven changes were made by their selectors for game three.

The Kiwis centre Baxter and wing Eastlake had dominated in Brisbane and they did so again, both scoring brilliant tries. Mulcare sealed it with a charge straight through the Kangaroos' forwards to score by the posts and White's goal-kicking saw him become the first Kiwi tourist to score more than 100 points in Australia.

5. 1963 - second test

The second test in 1963 in Brisbane featured a mouth-watering array of talent. The Kiwis had Jock Butterfield, Ron Ackland and Maunga Emery (grandfather of Stacey Jones) up front and Ken McCracken and Roger Bailey in the backs. The Aussies fielded Ken Irvine, Reg Gasnier, Graeme Langlands and John Raper.

The Kangaroos had won 7-3 in Sydney on the back of a 22-9 penalty count and after the referee had ruled out a last-gasp intercept try to halfback Bill Snowden, calling him offside when he wasn't. So the New Zealanders went to Brisbane knowing they could win and although the Australians led 8-5 at the break they were run down 16-13.

Emery and opposing prop Peter Gallagher were sent off for fighting and refusing to stop when ordered by the referee.

In the 75th minute the Kiwis swooped on a loose ball and several players handled before Butterfield broke the line and off-loaded for McCracken to score the winner.

6. 1983 – second test

The second test in 1983 was Graham Lowe's second game in charge after a 16-4 loss in his first test at Carlaw Park a month earlier.

Captain Mark Graham suffered an ankle injury in that game as did five-eighth Olsen Filipaina.

But it was the first time the Kiwis fielded a team with more Sydney-based professionals than locals, with only half Shane Varley and hooker Howie Tamati living on this side of the Tasman.

Lowe concocted a plan to confuse the Kangaroos greats - a side including Wally Lewis, Gene Miles, Mal Meninga, Steve Mortimer, Ray Price and Max Krilich - by moving his players around the park positionally with the idea their counterparts would follow in cover, so disrupting the opposition defence.

It worked and the shuffling of Gary Prohm, Fred Ah Kuoi, Gordon Smith and Nicky Wright in the hooker/lock/half and fullback positions broke the opposition line open.

The Kiwis led 9-6 at the break and young wing Joe Ropati, 20, scored the winner for a 19-12 triumph.

7. 1987 - Lang Park

Tank Gordon was appointed to take over as coach when Graham Lowe went to Wigan, but was given little chance of success with the retirement of key players and the strength of the Kangaroos side which included Wayne Pearce, Brett Kenny, Wally Lewis and Peter Sterling.

As it turned out the match was a near-mirror of Lowe's 1983 triumph.

In a bruising encounter which the Kiwis forwards dominated, Lewis was smashed, reducing his effectiveness and Hugh McGahan played on with a shattered shoulder.

Mark Horo, Adrian Shelford, Kevin Iro, Ross Taylor, Sam Stewart, Dean Lonergan and Gary Mercer were unknowns prior to the game and all soon became professionals in Australia or England.

Gordon played the Maori Battalion song to the team prior to the match and at halftime told them "to be a proud Kiwi and be prepared to die" in the second 40.

It was 13-6 to the Kiwis at the break and that's the way it stayed.

8. 1991 - Melbourne

The 24-8 win in 1991 at Melbourne's Olympic Park gained pop culture fame courtesy of Dean Lonergan's twitching episode.

It was Wally Lewis' last international. He was shown up by the unknown Kelly Shelford and the Broncos fullback Paul Hauff, who made his debut here. He never played another test after he was exposed by the New Zealand kicking game.

The Kangaroos led 8-2 and when halfback Gary Freeman, who was selected from Balmain's reserve grade, was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul things looked grim.

But then Mal Meninga was binned for a bad tackle on Freeman the minute he came back on.

Richie Blackmore found the gap in the Aussie backline and sent Jarrod McCracken in to score, Clayton Friend produced a kick-and-regather to score and Tawera Nikau ran from the back of a scrum for the last try.

Aussie coach Bob Fulton said they had enough ball to win two games, but acknowledged his side had been completely outplayed by Bailey's team.

9. 1998 - North Harbour

The only Anzac test played at North Harbour was also the only Kiwis win in the April/May match.

Kiwis coach Frank Endacott devised a gameplan to target new Kangaroos fullback Darren Lockyer and it worked - for the first and last time.

Secondrower Stephen Kearney was suspended out of the game at North Harbour and hooker Syd Eru, five-eighth Gene Ngamu and prop Tony Puletua were out injured.

With Kiwis prop John Lomax carted off in the first minutes and taken to hospital with a neck injury, the Kangaroos pushed out to a 12-2 lead after 22 minutes.

Richie Barnett suffered a broken hand, Jarrod McCracken received a gash above his eye, Tony Iro and Quentin Pongia spent time sidelined injured and the centres Ruben Wiki and Kevin Iro were pressed into service in the forwards as the Kiwis bench was decimated.

Iro and Sean Hoppe scored out wide then Terry Hermannson barged up the middle, then the Paul brothers Rob and Henry combined to send over Iro for his second in a 24-16 victory.

10. 2003 - North Harbour

In 2003, the 100th test between the two countries was played at Albany's North Harbour Stadium and the Kiwis won this as they had the first in 1908.

They did it without recognised halves, a field kicker and goal-kicker. Great credit has to go to the coach Daniel Anderson.

Stephen Kearney was out suspended and Paul Rauhihi, Logan Swann, Stacey Jones and David Vaeliki were ruled out through injury - so, as usual, the Kiwis were the underdogs.

Ruben Wiki was made captain by the new coach Anderson and the team included 11 Warriors - among them Louis Anderson, age 20, who joined his brother Vinnie as the 33rd brothers to play together for the Kiwis.

Wiki said he was fired by the sight of Vinnie Anderson shedding tears as the team ran out and the anthems were played.

Thomas Leuluai, just 17, featured in four of the Kiwis' six tries and had four carries in the lead-up to Clinton Toopi's third try.

The Kangaroos had led 10-0 and 16-14 midway through the second half before Toopi smashed the line open twice and Vinnie Anderson followed him over in a 30-16 triumph.