Moa impressed in a good forward pack, as did newcomer Martin Taupau, and there are myriad options in the front row.
There's little doubt Jared Waerea-Hargreaves can return to the Kiwis side but his omission might have jolted a few players out of their feeling of comfort.
For all the energy and enthusiasm, however, they lacked quality and Issac Luke and Foran would improve that tremendously.
"If you look at the team we jotted down six weeks ago, I think there are about four players who played who were on that list," Kearney said.
"We have taken a fair hit but it gave an opportunity for some young guys to come in and show what they've got and we saw that.
"Those young guys who came in with no test experience did a really good job. It was a wonderful effort.
"I wasn't trying to make any statement [with selections]. I was just trying to pick a team who would represent our jumper as well as they could with a great deal of spirit, energy and pride."
The problem is, the Kiwis have been in this place before. They have plenty of talent, and depth is building but they often haven't been able to play with intensity and intelligence at the same time. Effort needs to go with skill and composure, which has seen Australia dominate for most of the past decade.
"We have been a bit inconsistent," Mannering said. "When we have felt we're getting there, we have taken a few steps back. They're a class side and the challenge for us is to have that effort every time we play."
The Four Nations desperately needs the Kiwis to perform well, not least of all because the final is in Wellington. Last year's World Cup final at Old Trafford was a sellout but it lacked atmosphere because of England's absence.
New Zealand are still some way short of Australia but there's much more optimism than after their limp 34-2 defeat last year.
Five things we learnt in Sydney
1. Just how bad the Kiwis were in last year's World Cup final
A bunch of no-hopers, as many referred to the Kiwis this week, played with the sort of energy and enthusiasm sorely missing from the 34-2 defeat to Australia last year which put the world champions under pressure. The Kangaroos were undoubtedly down a notch or two from the slick performance in the World Cup final but the Kiwis played a significant hand in that as they rushed up on defence and ran hard and straight. League isn't a difficult game, they just lacked a little substance to really upset Australia.
2. The landscape in Australia is changing
This Australia side will go down as one of the best of all time. They possess some of the greats of the game but Australia will need to be mindful of the next World Cup and what the side might look like then. Friday night's side had an average age of 28.5 and there were seven over 30. Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens is incredibly loyal, sticking with players who have done it for him in the past, but there are many who question this approach and think he should reward form more, especially with the 2017 World Cup in mind. Even the great Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk have come under pressure this season following their slow starts with Melbourne, not to mention the likes of Darius Boyd and James Tamou. The Kiwis can't afford to wait for some of Australia's greats to finally disappear but change is imminent.
3. Test football is important
Among all the barbs being flung about Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney's apparent disrespect for the Anzac test were others questioning the relevance of international football. It matters, because it's a pretty hollow game if players can't aspire to represent their country, and the significance of that was illustrated on Friday night. It wasn't a great match in terms of quality but it was dramatic and there was a fair bit of relief among the Australian side. What the game really needed was for the Kiwis to win, to inject real interest back into international league.
4. Shaun Johnson is still a work in progress
There are few who possess the talent of Shaun Johnson, with his sleight of hand and foot, but halfbacks need more to win games. On Friday night, the 23-year-old's talents helped get the Kiwis into a winning position but his flaws made that difficult to achieve. His kicking game, in particular, which was so good in the first half, virtually deserted him. "I thought our kicking game in that second half really let us down," he said. "That was the difference." Johnson had little support, with a makeshift hooker and five-eighth playing alongside him and plenty of traffic directed his way, but this could have been the making of him. He's not there yet.
5. Issac Luke and Kieran Foran are critical to the Kiwis
Ben Henry and Tohu Harris were good playing out of position but they aren't Issac Luke and Kieran Foran. No matter how spirited the Kiwis' performance, it's almost impossible to beat the best without a quality spine. Luke is one player the Kangaroos are wary of and Foran would have taken a lot of pressure off Johnson in terms of the kicking game, structure and playmaking. It might have been really interesting if those two were present. "A touch of class might have got us over the line," Kearney said.
