League: Aussies wrap their stars in cotton wool

Kiwis captain Benji Marshall. Photo / Getty Images

It's league's version of yachting's split-tack start, with the Kiwis and Kangaroos heading to separate ends of the course in terms of their strategic approach to tomorrow's Four Nations final warm-up at Eden Park.

Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney laid his cards on the table earlier this week, following through on his pledge to roll out his strongest side.

Tim Sheens may have paid lip service to the notion of treating every test as a vital stand-alone encounter, but yesterday the Kangaroos coach confirmed it was just that, wrapping superstars Darren Lockyer and Billy Slater in cotton wool and inserting four debutants into a heavily rejigged side.

The contrasting approaches throw up a number of interesting conundrums.

Such as: what happens to the Kiwis' prospects in Brisbane next week if they can't put away what is effectively the Kangaroos' second string on home turf? And what does Sheens do if his replacements outshine a battery of senior hands?

Having inserted untested quartet Chris Lawrence, Todd Carney, Matthew Scott and Dean Young into his line-up, Sheens all but confirmed he had one eye on next week.

"The challenge is for both sides to not only win tomorrow but then to back it up [next week]," he said. "Australia have done that I think once in 11 years. I'd argue the Kiwis are probably the same.

"From that point of view we just look at taking this game on and then have a look at what happens next week. A lot of things happen in 80 minutes of football so I'm not going to jump ahead and worry about what might or might not happen."

The omission of Lockyer and Slater was partly injury-related, but Sheens admitted both would have started had tomorrow's game been the final.

"They would have played, no doubt about that," he said. "But also we haven't been that happy with the form of the squad and the guys who haven't played deserve an opportunity.

"In many ways Darius and Toddy have probably been in better form in the NRL season than Billy and Darren, so I am happy to give them an opportunity and then select the team [next week] based on form over the three games."

It is one of the stranger-looking Australian line-ups of recent times.

Odd, certainly, and lacking in superstar quality - but nonetheless dangerous, say the Kiwis.

"It is still a good-looking side," Kiwis captain Benji Marshall said.

"But for me it is about what I am going to do, not what they are going to do. I have got my own things to worry about."

Kearney echoed that, while playing down suggestions that losing to an understrength Kangaroos side would be disastrous seven days from the final.

Eden Park, 8.15pm tomorrow

KIWIS
Lance Hohaia
Jason Nightingale
S. Kenny-Dowall
Junior Sa'u
Sam Perrett
Benji Marshall (c)
Nathan Fien
F. Nuuausala
Thomas Leuluai
Adam Blair
Sika Manu
Simon Mannering
Jeremy Smith

AUSTRALIA
Darius Boyd
Brett Morris
Brent Tate
Chris Lawrence
Lote Tuqiri
Todd Carney
Cooper Cronk
Matthew Scott
Cameron Smith (c)
David Shillington
Greg Bird
Sam Thaiday
Paul Gallen

Kiwis (from): Issac Luke, Greg Eastwood, Frank Pritchard, Ben Matulino, Bronson Harrison.

Australia: Dean Young, Petero Civoniceva, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Robbie Farah, Kurt Gidley.