KEY POINTS:
Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart has boldly thrown down the challenge to the Kiwis declaring: "We're the best side in the world, come and get us."
Having kept a low profile in the buildup to tomorrow's World Cup opener at the Sydney Football Stadium, Stuart said the team were comfortable with their $1.15 favouritism to make it eight consecutive wins against the Kiwis, rated $5 outsiders.
"It's not something we're concerned about because it's typical of when you put an Australian jersey on, you're favourites to win that game. That's sometimes good," he said.
"Because we are the best team in the world and we've got that favourites' tag to live up to, it's an extra bit of pressure but at this level it's something we've got to put up with."
Stuart named a side with four debutants - Canberra wing Joel Monaghan, Gold Coast forward Anthony Laffranchi and Manly forwards Glenn Stewart and Josh Perry - and said the newcomers added some spark to a lineup missing previous frontliners Willie Mason, Mark Gasnier, Justin Hodges and Greg Bird.
They assembled only last weekend and had no warmup match, but crucially he pointed out that their four key men had all formed combinations in State of Origin for Queensland - fullback Billy Slater, gun halves Johnathan Thurston and Darren Lockyer and hooker Cameron Smith.
But Stuart wasn't expecting his side to wipe the floor with Stephen Kearney's Kiwis, not publicly anyway.
Perhaps well aware of the distinct lack of interest around Sydney for the World Cup among the public and media, Stuart was keen to talk up the challenge New Zealand and England would offer in the next month.
He noticed a certain swagger about the Kiwis under Kearney and his assistant Wayne Bennett.
"They've certainly got the talent there to beat us. They've got someoutstanding footballers and I know they're very, very confident. They were typically big, robust, strong[in the 56-8 win over Tonga], and I thought Benji Marshall ran the show and stole the day. He was outstanding," Stuart said.
"He'll play first pass off the ruck and he'll be the main indicator in the game. He's a special talent and it's a big stage, and that's where the best players step up to the plate.
"Of course you talk about shutting him down, you talk about shutting down all the great players."
- NZPA
