League: Four Nations success up with premiership win - Foran

Kiwis five-eighth Kieran Foran spoke passionately as he described the Kiwis' Four Nations tournament success as being equal to his 2011 NRL premiership win with his Manly club side.

Saturday night's thrilling 22-18 victory over the Kangaroos sealed Foran's first tournament win with the Kiwis and just his second triumph over Australia, following their tournament opening victory in Brisbane three weeks ago.

The 24-year-old was ecstatic his side had gone through their four matches unbeaten and spoke of his immense satisfaction in finally achieving a long-held goal in the black jersey.

"Yeah, it's right up there [with Manly's 2011 title win]," Foran said. "I did a lot of thinking this week, asking myself where it would rate, and I've waited a long time for success in the Kiwis' jersey and this is my first real taste of it.

"I'm just really happy and really proud of the effort that everyone put in. From day dot we set out our goals and aspirations and where we wanted to finish, and to go through undefeated and come away with a win tonight is just a huge effort from everyone involved."

The playmaker again proved a great foil to halves partner Shaun Johnson, organising play well on the left side and kicking effectively, while he also held the ball up nicely before finding Sea Eagles teammate Peta Hiku in the lead-up to Manu Vatuvei's match-winning second-half try.

Before the Kiwis' first-up win at Suncorp Stadium, Foran and Johnson had talked about their mutual desire to end their run of losses against their green and gold rivals and the week leading into the final was no different.

"Up until 6pm tonight, when we left the hotel, we were talking about it. We just kept looking each other in the eye out there, saying 'We can do it, we are close'.

"I thought he [Johnson] just had a cracker of a game and he just kept getting up and his kicking game was superb."

Foran took satisfaction in getting one over his Manly halves partner and opposing Kangaroos No6 Daly Cherry-Evans and acknowledged his friend's graciousness in defeat.

"I thought Daly played brilliantly tonight, he was a real threat the whole game.

"He came up and shook my hand and told me we deserved it. I was really happy, he's just a top bloke and he showed it after the game."