Graham Lowe: Here's hoping Aussies play like lemons

Where was Norma Plummer when I was an aspiring young Kiwi league coach and really needed her?

Plummer is the lemon-lipped Aussie netball coach who looks as though she'd frighten a police horse. And she seems to know just how to push all the right buttons to inspire opposition teams to want to beat the living daylights out of the teams she coaches.

This was the lady who famously referred to our Silver Ferns as scrubbers. In the best don't-get-mad-get-even style, the Ferns delivered their reply to the Aussie coach the next time the teams took the court.

Dare I say it, but Aussie league seems to have its own version of Plummer in the form of Phil Gould.

Consider this:

"The truth is that Australia has the most players, the best players, the best coaches and the strongest competition. Regardless of who we pick for Australia, we should win every time.

"I honestly believe playing against Queensland or NSW is a far more challenging assignment than preparing a national team to play against Great Britain or New Zealand.

"Both Queensland and NSW would beat New Zealand and Great Britain - and beat them comfortably."

Those are the words of the arrogant Channel 9 commentator. And then he lobbed in with his newspaper column saying most of the Kiwis have "short concentration spans" and "quick burnout rates".

These attitudes are at the heart of the problem the international game is facing and a reflection of just how difficult it will always be to change the thinking of the NRL and Super League clubs when it comes to the importance of international league.

It is also a Plummer-esque piece of motivation for the Kiwis tomorrow night.

This Kiwi team face a challenge no different to most previous New Zealand league sides and they will have to battle to overcome the odds that are stacked against them.

I must confess, I am nowhere near as confident of a Kiwi success in this year's Tri-Nations as I was in 2005 because last year Kiwi coach 'Bluey' McClennan was able to organise an ambush.

Since then things have not gone as well for him. But this is the type of challenge that must bring out the best in him.

Australia's coach Ricky Stuart watched last year as the Kiwis showed they were willing to put it all on the line for their coach. Stuart's a crafty guy and I'm certain he will have introduced his own style of emotion in the Australian team for this series.

McClennan is at a disadvantage when it comes to the match fitness of his players, with only six of his Kiwi squad taking part in the NRL finals series. Nineteen of Austalia's squad were in the semis, 10 of them in the grand final.

The intensity of those games has to give the Aussies the edge. So it's important the Kiwis create as many stoppages during this first game as possible. They can't afford to let Australia get on a roll.

But it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom for the Kiwis if they take a leaf out of the Broncos' book. In fact, they could spring an upset.

The bigger Broncos forward pack kept up a continual roll throughout the NRL grand final and the more agile Melbourne Storm team couldn't cope with the unrelenting pressure.

The Kiwis must get into their heads that Australia will be feeling the heat perhaps even more than they are. They HAVE to win, expectations are so huge and Stuart won't survive a loss.

They've lost key men also. Andrew Johns, Ben Kennedy, Tonie Carroll. Great players who will be missed. But for me their main danger will come from Darren Lockyer, who is in the best form of his career. His leadership is also inspirational and he now has a Wally Lewis look about him.

The Kiwi forwards will be running at him all night trying to take the edge off his attack but I don't think this tactic works any more.

For a Kiwi victory, all the little things of their game must be done well. But probably one of the most important is not to give away free field position to Australia with dumb penalties.

This alone could hold the key to the result. The Australian backline is full of strike players who don't need an invitation to make a break.

But it's the off-field duel of the coaches that I find most interesting.

McClennan was a Neville Nobody before last year's series but he made an immediate impact on the international scene.

His down-to-earth approach was just what the Kiwis needed. He is still the perfect man for the job despite his team being flogged by Australia in the Anzac test, then by Great Britain in June.

I suspect this series will be the biggest learning experience in his career.

During last Sunday's V8 race at Bathurst, the teams commented on how they had to rethink their strategies throughout the day because of the constantly changing conditions.

It is something McClennan will have to keep in mind because the conditions of this series will change dramatically each game. He will need to re-evaluate even his best-laid plans. Stuart is sitting in the box seat as Australia's coach. He is very competitive and has plenty to prove after getting the heave-ho from the Roosters.

This series could prove to be his finest hour, and the odds are certainly stacked in his favour.

One way Kiwi fans can help reduce those odds is to get along to Mt Smart Stadium. The Kiwis will feel the pinch as the heat goes on but as any player will tell you, they do get a lift from a big and vocal crowd.

Australia will start favourites but anyone who has looked into Bluey's eyes and seen the fire there will know the Kiwis will be full of spirit. Without that passion from the coach, a side have no chance.

And a final tip for Bluey. Put a couple of life-sized pictures of Plummer and Gould up on the dressing-room wall. It won't be long before his team are breaking down the door to get out on the paddock.