League: Kiwis halfback Tui Lolohea aiming to silence his critics in second test

Kiwis halfback Tui Lolohea hopes to slilence his critics with an improved display in Sunday's (NZT) second test against England. Photo/Getty.

Tui Lolohea knows all about the doubters. The new Kiwis halfback realises - almost whether he performs or not in the second test on Saturday (Sunday morning NZT) - there will be critics, those who think Benji Marshall should be on the tour instead.

The absence of Marshall became the biggest talking point around the team's selection, and last Monday's patchy display in Hull did little to quell that debate among his vocal supporters.

The Kiwis were short of experience in the back line and looked that way. They lacked direction around the field, particularly in the second half, and their kicking game fell away badly.

There was also no one on the field who managed to change the tempo, to get momentum back for the New Zealand side.

But that was also because the forward battle was being lost and they couldn't complete a set for a long period during the second half.

Lolohea is definitely a great future prospect - but is he ready for test football now?

"We are trying to build something here," said Lolohea. "People probably think we are not the ideal halves but we were put in this position for a reason. Stephen Kearney has a lot of faith in us and what we can do as a combination...I just need to keep playing my way of footy in a style I like to play."

It's easy to forget just how far - and fast - Lolohea has come. A little over a year ago he hadn't even played a NRL game, as he flitted between NSW Cup and the Junior Warriors. By the end of the 2014 season he had played a grand total of 77 minutes of first grade.

Now - after a season where he has covered four positions for the Warriors, mostly with aplomb, and played almost every game - he is playing test match football, in a country where the Kiwis have traditionally struggled. Some challenge.

But he is adamant that there is not too much on his shoulders, as has been constantly mentioned since he was selected.

"I've had a lot of discussions with our coaching staff," said Lolohea. "They keep getting into me about not worrying about controlling the team and stuff. I know that Bully (Issac Luke) and Blairy (Adam Blair) will take care of that and I need to worry about playing my style of footy...that's when I play my best."

Lolohea is a confidence player and seemed to have plenty in the first half last week, when he took the line on several times and also tried some judicious chip kicks. But he wasn't nearly as prominent in the second half, and made some crucial errors.

"I'll go into this game having more confidence and belief in what I can do on the field," said Lolohea. "Being able to do more stuff on the field and help the boys overcome the challenge."

The Kiwis completed an intense session at Harrow School today, with some of the tackles in the full contact session enough to make the physiotherapists and medical staff wince.

Adam Blair and Jordan Kahu took a full part in training, and are tracking well in their recoveries from concussion last weekend. Peta Hiku was the only absentee from training, sitting out the session as he recovers from a stomach illness.

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