League: Roll up for Marshall v Sheens - round one

Kiwis captain Benji Marshall and Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens. Photo / Getty Images

BRISBANE - It's the gripping master-versus-pupil sideshow adding even more intrigue to Friday's transtasman league test.

And Kiwis captain Benji Marshall reckons it's 1-1 in the wisecracking stakes with his Wests Tigers coach and debut Kangaroos mentor, Tim Sheens.

"He talks it up, Sheensy. He goes and tells lies, like I said we were going to beat them by 50 (points).

"I didn't say that, I had a personal joke and told him he was only going to last one game as coach, and he told me I was going to last one game as captain. It's one-each," Marshall said with a laugh.

Marshall will lead the Kiwis today in their first serious training session before the much-awaited World Cup rematch at Suncorp Stadium.

He was keen to talk up the rivalry with Sheens who encouraged Marshall to express himself in the Tigers' stunning season 2005 which ended in grand final victory, and already advised Marshall not to let the captaincy restrict his off-the-cuff attacking game this week.

Even though the pair are close, Marshall said Sheens would be foolish not to send plenty of ball runners his way in defence: "that's what every other team does".

Potentially more focus will be on Sheens than Marshall this week, with the NRL coaching veteran having replaced the sacked Ricky Stuart after the Kiwis' 34-20 win in November's World Cup final.

"I don't think Tim can change much of what they're done in three or four days. They've got pretty much the same team so they're going to be working off the same stuff as they were in the World Cup," Marshall said.

"I don't need to say anything about the way he coaches. He can tell them the way I play, it's all good knowing, but you've still got to defend it. "
Marshall fronted the media as the Kiwis assembled yesterday to pronounce himself 100 per cent for Friday despite a recent bout of debilitating flu and a corked thigh which saw him miss the Tigers' match on Sunday.

A Sheens jibe yesterday that Marshall was in doubt was brushed off.

"He likes those jokes, Sheensy. I was sick (last week), it was the sickest I've been in a long time. It wasn't till Thursday that I got to go to training.

"I'm feeling that much better now I'm back in camp, not sick, the cork won't be a problem, so everything he said you can just wipe off the list. "

Marshall's confidence aside, it was a tricky first day in camp for Steve Kearney's Kiwis.

Key second-rower Frank Pritchard (neck) was ruled out and replaced by Melbourne's Sika Manu, while hooker Issac Luke was handed a grade one striking charge by the NRL which will see him miss the test if found guilty at tomorrow's judiciary.

- NZPA