KEY POINTS:
Tonight's test with the Kiwis taking on the Australians again looms as a David versus Goliath show.
The Aussies, as always, look incredibly strong from one to 17, even with the great Darren Lockyer out.
When you look at a bench that includes Willie Mason and Carl Webb,
it says volumes about their depth and talent and the sheer class of the team.
Having said that, surely this New Zealand side, under the coaching of Stephen Kearney and the guidance of Wayne Bennett, who between them know the Australian players inside out, will bring more respect to the fight than the unfortunate Gary Kemble managed to achieve. They must go better than the 58-0 drubbing Kemble's team got in Wellington last year.
Captain Roy Asotasi especially has a lot to prove. He's in good form and he needs to bring that to the test because it was his outburst of criticism that led to the sacking of Kemble. For his own credibility, he needs to produce a man-of-the-match performance. For my money, the players that we can look to to sharpen our attack - the guys who are truly of world class - are Sonny Bill Williams and Brent Webb.
Unfortunately, the Australians will make sure these two have little room in which to move, particularly Sonny Bill.
As long as the New Zealand side completes the bulk of its sets of six, has a kicking game as good as the Aussies and misses as few tackles as they do, we will be in with a chance.
All three of those disciplines the Aussies have in spades. Nowadays, not only do they play percentage football, they can also play open running rugby league that is incredibly entertaining to watch, such are their skills.
In every five matches against Australia we pick up one win.
The best we can hope for tonight is that it's our 20 per cent turn because, as usual, going into the game the Australians are far stronger on paper and they are a much better balanced team.
I think we will be particularly weak in the kicking department, which is not a strong part of Thomas Leuluai's game. Of all the players we have, I think that judging on tests gone by, Leuluai is our weakest link.
But then that's the great thing about being a maligned player - you get to step out on the park with the opportunity to prove all the nay-sayers wrong.
I sincerely hope the Kiwis prove this particular nay-sayer wrong, but history, statistics, current form and the inclusion of future Hall of Fame players of the likes of Johnathan Thurston, Greg Inglis, Israel Folau and Petero Civoniceva in the Kangaroos line-up suggest otherwise.
Let's hope David finds the right stones to slay Goliath tonight.
