New Zealand skipper Benji Marshall is tipping Kieran Foran to be the key figure for the Kiwis as they plan their assault on a second successive Four Nations rugby league championship.
Foran's displays for Manly this year were a major factor in their NRL premiership triumph and Marshall believes the 21-year-old will help shift opponents' focus away from him.
Marshall will almost certainly play at five-eighth against Australia in Sunday's one-off Test at Newcastle's Ausgrid Stadium, with Foran shifting from his usual No.6 shirt into the halfback role.
And despite his relative inexperience at international level, with just four appearances to his name, Marshall has no doubt Foran will excel on the Four Nations tour of the UK starting this month.
"I think over the last six months Kieran has matured a lot and really taken a leadership role at Manly and that's going to benefit my game a lot more,'' Marshall told AAP.
