League: Kearney wants lift in Kiwis' performance

Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney wants to see an improved hitout from his side against PNG. Photo / Getty Images

The Kiwis' first-up performance in their Four Nations rugby league campaign will ensure they don't take outsiders Papua New Guinea lightly tomorrow night, coach Stephen Kearney says.

New Zealand are hot favourites to get past the PNG at Rotorua, with bookmakers on both sides of the Tasman giving the Kumuls a start of more than 40 points.

But Kearney said the Kiwis' display in downing England 24-10 at Wellington would ensure there was no complacency in his camp.

"Not after the way we played last week," he said.

"We have certain expectations we have to live up to. That starts with the coach and everyone in the staff and trickles down to the players."

Against England, the Kiwis appeared to be heading for a comfortable victory at 18-0 up early in the second half, only for their opponents to fight back with two quick tries and have a third ruled out for an in-goal infringement.

As Kearney looked back over the test, the areas he identified for improvement included his side's defensive effort and their play-the-ball.

"From a defensive point of view, we weren't winning the tackles and that made things tiring and difficult for us," he said.

"England consistently won the play-the-ball on us, so we have highlighted areas we need to improve on."

However, Kearney acknowledged the mitigating factor of the Kiwis' having just a three-man bench for most the contest, after winger Manu Vatuvei left the field with a fractured arm in the opening minutes.

Vatuvei is out for the rest of the tournament and his replacement against PNG is a straightforward one, with Sam Perrett coming in for his 17th test.

Perrett's inclusion is one of four changes to the Kiwis' starting 13.

Prop Sam Mckendry will get his debut cap, while fellow frontrower Frank-Paul Nuuausala is elevated from the bench and Sika Manu comes into the second row after sitting out against England.

PNG, who lost to defending champions Australia 42-0 in Sydney last weekend, have made three changes to their starting 13, all in the pack, with prop James Nightingale, second rower Johnson Kuike and hooker Charlie Wabo coming in.

There are also several changes in an expanded six-man bench, with the Kumuls looking to give players in their squad game time.

Kearney said the Kiwis knew what to expect from the Kumuls in terms of their attitude and their physical defence.

Predicting their game plan was a bit more difficult.

"But from our point of view, it's about what's important for us this week," he said.

"The focus is more on what we need to do."

Kearney had no qualms about key playmaker Benji Marshall being able to handle whatever PNG might dish his way in terms of their characteristic big hits.

He didn't think his skipper would be a particular target, noting that the Kumuls didn't differentiate between opposition players during their 42-0 defeat to Australia last weekend.

Whether it was Darren Lockyer, Billy Slater, Brent Tate or whoever, "everyone was in the same boat".

"It doesn't matter who is in front of them, they'll have a go," Kearney said.

"That's the way they play. I can't put a cage around Benji on the footy field. He's a big lad. He will know how to handle things."

The tournament's other match this weekend has Australia hosting England in Melbourne on Sunday.

If Kiwis and the Kangaroos both win, they will book their places in the final in Brisbane on November 13 and render the results of next week's England-PNG and New Zealand-Australia double-header in Auckland largely academic.

- NZPA