Dargaville's Sam McKendry in Anzac test

There will be no love lost between Penrith Panthers skipper Petero Civoniceva and prop Sam McKendry when the pair clash in tomorrow night's Anzac test at the Gold Coast.
While Dargaville-reared McKendry, 21, and Panther's skipper Civoniceva are mates in the club environment, and the 40-test veteran is reported to think highly of the young prop, it will be a different story on the paddock when McKendry kits up for his third test for the Kiwis and Civoniceva lines up for the Kangaroos again.
"It will be a big game, especially going up against Petero ... there's a bit of friendly rivalry with us playing against each other, rather than playing on the same team ... it should be a good contest," McKendry said.
McKendry, who is contracted to the Panthers until 2015, has had a tough start to the season with his club side - currently sitting second last on the table.
"We haven't been going well at all this season. We're just not performing. Hopefully that will change ... we just need to play as a team," he said.
Although he said he was not particularly happy with his personal performance, McKendry did enough to impress coach Steven Kearney and the Kiwi selectors and earn a himself a test spot and the chance to turn a so-far average year, into a successful one with a win over the Kangaroos.
"I just want to get out there and go hard," he declared.
After the team was named on Sunday night, the Kiwis went into camp at the Gold Coast to prepare for the Anzac clash at Skilled Park, Robina.
The defending world champions have a couple of training sessions remaining before their first international hitout of the year, which comes on the back of a massive 2010 where they defeated Australia to claim the Four Nations Trophy. Despite their recent success in major tournaments, the Kiwis have struggled in mid-year tests, and in the Anzac test, which started in 1997 - winning one to the Australians' nine victories.
The Kiwis last won a mid-year game 14 years ago and they have never beaten Australia in a mid-year test on Aussie soil and still regard their transtasman rivals as the benchmark.
These factors have provided the Kiwis with plenty of food for thought and motivation to finally seal a win across the ditch, McKendry said.
"We have had a poor record in the mid-year tests and this is something we have been focusing on heading into the game ... we want to improve that record."
With Australia out to prove a point after last year's Four Nation's loss and New Zealand keen to turn the tables on their poor test record, the Anzac test originally scheduled for Christchurch before February's earthquake struck, is shaping up to be a thriller.
"The Aussies will bring their A-game. Their strength will be in their halves whereas the Kiwis strength is in the forwards ... and Lockyer [Darren] will be looking for a massive game as he is retiring at the end of the year ... it should be pretty tough," McKendry said.
Doubts arose over whether Far North product Adam Blair and Nathan Fien would play despite being named yesterday.
Shortly after the team was announced, Blair rolled an ankle at the end of the training session while Fien tweaked a pre-existing hamstring strain.
Team doctor Simon Mayhew was optimistic both players would be fit to run on Skilled Park, although he said the next 24 hours would be crucial.
If Fien or Blair were ruled out, Warriors utility Brown would make his test debut. Melbourne winger Matthew Duffie is the only other debutant in the Kiwis.