League: Kiwis impress our Australian import

Steve Price

Warriors captain Steve Price won't accept talk that the Kiwis have no chance in the Anzac test because of injuries.

He rates last year's contest against a less-impressive side as "one of the toughest games I've played in".

"You can't tell me that's not a good squad," Price said at Kangaroos' training. "New Zealand-Australia contests are always tough whether it's league, netball or softball. There's unbelievable respect between the two countries."

Price said training on the Gold Coast with the Kangaroos felt like a homecoming rather than a culture shock.

He has spoken to his Warriors team-mates about his test selection.

"They're very proud of playing for their country and I'm very proud of playing for mine."

He didn't feel that knowing so many of the Kiwis through the Warriors would aid or change the Kangaroos' or his personal game.

"You get to know everybody in the NRL and what they do. I don't think it makes any difference."

Price said he was thoroughly enjoying New Zealand. "I'm loving it. The people are fantastic, they're very family-oriented and they've made me and my family feel very welcome."

He was also enjoying the Warriors and their improvement this season.

"From the first training run to where we are now ... the change is huge. Newcastle really put it to us last weekend. A lot of teams 20-0 down would have given up."

Improvements are still needed, he says, and top of the list is the "clock-off" the Warriors seem prone to.

'Whenever there's a stoppage we seem to take time to turn the switch on again. I can't say any more about the attitude of the guys to correcting that."

But he wasn't concerned. "It's part of the reason I wanted to go to the Warriors, to play a leadership role. You can see the potential."

Price said he was looking for a big game in tomorrow night's test and more for the Warriors through the season, and he would go on the end-of-year Tri Nations tour if selected.

Price got an early taste of what to expect from his Warriors' team-mates after they beat Newcastle on Sunday. He was heckled and booed at an after-match function when required to perform a song.

His rendition of his old school song didn't go down too well.

Christchurch-born Tonie Carroll will play his sixth test for Australia after five for New Zealand at the 2000 World Cup. He has no regrets about his reversal of allegiance.

"They gave me dispensation. I wanted to play Origin again."

More than 30,000 tickets have been sold for the game, around 10,000 more pre-sales than for the past few tests in Australia.

The Kangaroos have brought Penrith lock Trent Waterhouse into their camp as 18th man, possibly as cover for Jason Ryles, who has a knee strain. Australia's goal-kicker, Craig Fitzgibbon, has been taking advice from Kiwis' selector Daryl Halligan on technical aspects of his kicking, and it has smartened up his accuracy.

The Kiwis are still deciding who will kick, with Benji Marshall and Jamaal Lolesi taking the shots at training.