League: Coaches field questions but skip odds

Australian league coach Ricky Stuart talks to the media after arriving at Auckland Airport yesterday. Picture / Dean Purcell

The Tri-Nations coaches are avoiding favouritism talk the way others might avoid a Ruben Wiki hit.

Both Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart, who arrived in Auckland with his 23-man squad last night, and his Kiwi rival Brian McClennan say the business of talking odds is not in their line of business.

And Stuart, one of league's great halfbacks, quickly found a point of encouragement for the Kiwis going into Saturday night's opener at Mt Smart Stadium. Stuart also did his best, although not entirely convincingly, to play down any disadvantage the Kiwis might have in terms of recent match conditioning.

As the Kangaroo players piled on to their bus, Stuart told a media gathering that the return of Kiwi halfback Stacey Jones would give the home side a massive boost, after they were crushed in this year's Anzac test.

The France-based Jones missed that match in Brisbane because of a broken arm. Stuart said: "Stacey Jones back in the team gives New Zealand a completely different outlook.

"What he brings will be a huge advantage in terms of the maturing of players around him. Stacey Jones' delivery of leadership and direction will give his team an enormous boost and that is something we are going to have to be very mindful of."

On the subject of match conditioning, Stuart said: "We don't have that problem and a number of the boys played right up to the grand final. Only a handful didn't make the semifinal. So I haven't got that issue."

But later, he said: "It's only as big an issue as you want to make it. If it was me, it's not an issue because they are professionals who should have trained over the past four weeks.

"I'm sure the Kiwi boys were.

"You could look at it as an added bonus in that they have freshened up."

A matter of take your pick.

The Kiwis will name their side today and, although Stuart initially said he would follow suit, the Australians indicated last night that they would wait until tomorrow.

As yet, there has been none of the fiery verbal jousting between the camps that preceded the Brisbane game, where new test coach Stuart started restoring Australian pride after their hammering by the Kiwis in the 2005 Tri-Nations final.

The Australians indicated they would put up big Willie Mason for interviews today, so hope springs eternal for the headline hunters though.

For now, Australian coaching legend Phil Gould has provided the verbal muscle. Gould, in his newspaper column, celebrated the prospect of a test battle but wrote off the Kiwis' chances, although not as severely as Great Britain's. Gould claimed most of the Kiwis had quick burnout rates and short concentration spans, and urged Australia to play a quick game.

McClennan quickly returned fire. "I've got a short concentration span for sure but my players haven't," said McClennan, who put his side through strength and aerobic work yesterday.

On the subject of favouritism, McClennan said: "That's for punters."

The major Kiwi selection interest will concern who joins David Kidwell in the back row. There have been hints that Warriors centre Simon Mannering will get the call at lock.

Stuart is reported to be consulting his famous old playing rival Allan Langer, who is on his staff, before deciding who gets the No 7 jersey.