KEY POINTS:
BRISBANE - When the Kiwis upset Australia in the 2005 Tri-Nations rugby league final, coach Brian McClennan said they were at bigger odds than Dodgeball.
That's the film where the bunch of misfits form a team and triumph against the odds.
The Kiwis don't enter the misfit category
but they are rated A$3 outsiders in a two-horse race against hot favourites the Kangaroos at Suncorp Stadium tonight.
"I haven't seen any movies lately to compare it with," McClennan beamed when reminded of his Dodgeball quote.
"I'm really happy with what we've done in this short period. We lack experience but there's no shortage of ability."
McClennan has been frustrated this week, with the Australian Rugby League (ARL) not recognising his requests to rest players from the previous weekend's matches, as they do during State of Origin, to give him adequate buildup time.
Reasons why the Kiwis shouldn't win could fill a whole page:
* The absence of retired duo Ruben Wiki and Nigel Vagana, the unavailable Stacey Jones and injured David Kidwell who boast around 160 tests between them.
* Three debutants, a fullback (Krisnan Inu) with just one National Rugby League (NRL) first grade appearance to his name, and six others with five test appearances or less.
* They only assembled on Monday, welcomed their last player Iosia Soliola into camp on Tuesday and trained for the first time this year on Wednesday -- two days after their opponents' first session.
* The Kangaroos have 13 players back from the Tri-Nations final and have won the four Anzac tests in this decade by an average score of 44-9 (including the 50-12 hiding at the same venue a year ago).
But McClennan has consistently extracted the best from his underdogs, who enter camp like children at Christmas time.
"It's been a great week, we've enjoyed ourselves and had a lot of laughs," veteran prop Nathan Cayless said.
"Everyone's been great, everyone's got on well as we always do. It's been pretty relaxed but now we're starting to get pumped up."
Pumped up is exactly what the two coaches were yesterday.
Stuart used the word "arrogant" to describe McClennan in a television interview, and also told reporters his counterpart thought he was bigger than the game in missing yesterday's World Cup launch.
McClennan said he had a test to prepare for, the launch clashed with the second of his two training sessions this week and the ARL had long known about the Kiwis' schedule when it announced the launch.
"I don't know Ricky Stuart and I'm not intending to get to know him," McClennan said.
While the core of experience has gone, McClennan has trump cards up his sleeve.
Two of the NRL's big stars, Benji Marshall and Sonny Bill Williams, play only their second test together. The first was the mauling a year ago when both were under injury clouds.
Marshall's form needs to lift and his kicking and running game needs to be first class to guide the Kiwis home.
And the pair had an unlikely fan in Stuart who conceded New Zealand were a better attacking force now than in the Tri-Nations.
"I think it'll make a big difference having them back. These two tests are good appetisers for the World Cup. It will set the trend for what's going to happen in 18 months time.
"Those two boys are both very young, they've been unfortunate with injury but they've both got the talent to take the Kiwis forward. They need to provide it.
"We all know what their capabilities are, it's a matter of them putting it into the test arena.
"They'll be a very healthy footy team with those two playing well."
The Kangaroos have the form on the board and ooze class, while the Kiwis have the 'Bluey' (McClennan) factor. Bring on the Dodgeball.
- NZPA