League: Build-up concentrates on basics

Manaia Cherrington. Photo / Getty Images

The Junior Kiwis have plenty of size and strike power but completing the basics will be their main focus when they take on their Australian counterparts in tonight's transtasman clash at Mt Smart Stadium.

Captain Manaia Cherrington has been stressing to his side the importance of doing the simple things right while trying to quickly develop combinations during their six-day build-up in Auckland.

"Ball control and keeping it really simple and completing our sets will be key," said the 20-year-old Whangaruru-born hooker, now based in Sydney with Wests Tigers.

"The main objective this week has just been to gel together well and bond and hopefully come Saturday we can get the result."

The New Zealand side has three members - Cherrington, Joseph Tapine, and Zach Docker-Clay - returning from the team that led the Junior Kangaroos 20-10 at halftime in last year's corresponding clash in Sydney, before a second-half collapse saw them suffer a heart-breaking 38-26 defeat.

Twelve months on they are determined not to make the same mistakes against what is a powerful Australian outfit boasting several players with NRL experience.

"Unfortunately they ran us down in that last 20 minutes of that game," explained coach Brent Gemmell. "We had a few little problems controlling the ball in that last quarter so that was the biggest disappointment."

A mid-season leadership camp in Sydney saw the senior players reflect on that result and sparked a determined mind-set within the group to set things straight in today's return encounter.

"There were a number of boys at that camp that had played in that test and we discussed the unravelling of that game and what was required, so that was a great opportunity to try and improve on last year's weaknesses," Gemmell said.

While the Junior Kangaroos might hold the edge in terms of NRL players, the Junior Kiwis boast six members that made the NYC merit team, and two players, Sam Lisone and Adam Tuimavave-Gerard, from the grand final winning Junior Warriors.

"Both teams are pretty experienced," Cherrington said.

"Most of the boys had a big campaign in the 20s and hopefully they can bring that experience into the game. They have a big pack with plenty of first grade in them but so do we, we've got a pretty big pack too. If we can complete our set and kick long and turn them around in their own end zone it will go a long way to getting the win."