KEY POINTS:
It's been a bizarre start for the Kiwis in their World Cup campaign with the coaches and half the team yet to join the camp.
Stephen Kearney has been back in Melbourne reviewing the 2008 NRL season and plotting for 2009 while his assistant and mentor Wayne Bennett visited his new club the Dragons.
Meanwhile the Kiwis' old hands have been running training for the All Golds, who include those Kiwis players who did not make it into the NRL finals, as they prepare for a hit-out against Aotearoa Maori at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth tomorrow.
Ruben Wiki is All Golds captain, Stacey Jones the halfback/playmaker.
Jones says he's fit and "slowly getting used to it".
The 32-year-old hasn't played a proper game since he left his boots on the pitch at Warrington's Halliwell Stadium after the Bennett-coached All Golds beat the Northern Union 25-18 last year.
Jones works with the Warriors' kickers and it was two months ago that Wiki encouraged him to join the side. The star halfback went straight back into training and by all accounts is still skilful enough to guide the team with his passing and kicking game, still able to slip tacklers.
He's enjoying it, too.
"The boys are always on a high when they get into camp. Steve [Kearney] asked me to help out and oversee things and make sure everyone is doing what he wants," Jones said yesterday.
"There are enough old heads around with Ruben and Logan and Nathan Cayless so I don't have to give too much advice."
Former Kiwis coach Frank Endacott and ex-captain Quentin Pongia have also been on the sidelines helping with management of the team.
Jones' input will continue next week when the test halfback Thomas Leuluai and the NRL grand final players arrive to fill the squad mix.
He sees his role in the game itself as steering the play but leaving the hard work to others.
But his presence is giving the Kiwis some confidence, especially after the loss of five key players - last year's captain Roy Asotasi, regulars Frank Pritchard and Brent Webb, plus form prop Jeff Lima - all injured - and the departed Sonny Bill Williams.
There's loads of history hanging around this match, not least the All Golds name which honours the first New Zealand league tourists.
Between them Jones, Ruben Wiki, 35, and Logan Swann, 33, leave quite a legacy.
Jones' 46 tests are equalled by Gary Freeman and beaten only by Wiki's 55 while Swann has 28, with the distinction of representing his country before making his NRL debut, aged a mere 21.
Jones, the Warriors' only life member after playing 238 times for the club from 1995-2005, had another 39 starts in Super League for the start-up club Les Catalans. Swann has played 195 games for the Warriors in two stints from 1996-2003 and 2007-08, spending the intervening years playing 70 matches in Super League with Bradford and Warrington.
The Maori stay at Turangawaewae Marae in Huntly to complete their build-up ahead of the match against Australian Indigenous in the October 26 curtainraiser to the World Cup opener between Australia and New Zealand.
Kangaroos backrower Michael Crocker is out of the tournament with rib damage and late Wednesday the Aussies called back Anzac test Kangaroo Anthony Tupou, who was not included earlier and had already committed to and trained with Tonga.
All Golds v Maori
New Plymouth, 5pm tomorrow
All Golds:
Lance Hohaia
Sam Perrett
Iosaia Soliola
Krisnan Inu
Manu Vatuvei
Benji Marshall
Stacey Jones
Ruben Wiki (c)
Isaac Luke
Nathan Cayless
Setaimata Sa
Logan Swann
David Fa'alogo
Maori:
Kevin Locke
Jordan Rapana
S. Kenny-Dowall
Wairangi Koopu
Jason Nightingale
Arana Taumata
Rangi Chase
Sam McKendry
Ben Ellis
Weller Hauraki
Bronson Harrison
To be named
Lee Te Maari
Interchange:
All Golds: Greg Eastwood, Nathan Fien, David Kidwell, Thomas Leuluai, Jerome Ropati.
Maori: Jared Kahu, Joseph Cahill, Chance Bunce, James Tamou, Kevin Proctor.
