KEY POINTS:
BRISBANE - Kiwi centre Jerome Ropati will go into the rugby league World Cup final in Brisbane on Saturday looking to extend a notable test try-scoring run.
Ropati's brace in the 32-22 semifinal victory over England last weekend took his try tally to nine in nine appearances since his debut at fullback in the Anzac test against Australia in 2005.
He has scored three so far in the cup tournament, the other coming in the pool win over Papua New Guinea.
Ropati shrugged off his ability to continue his high strike rate over the past month as a case of "just being in the right place at the right time".
He said he was merely finishing off chances created by the forwards up front, the revamp halves pairing of Nathan Fien and Benji Marshall and the menacing presence of blockbusting winger Manu Vatuvei outside him.
"The halves combination is good and we're getting quality ball in the backline," he said.
"The team is working well and our outside backs are finishing off the good work being done in the middle."
The build-up to the final has been marked by wet weather and cool temperatures, which has been a contrast to the hot and muggy conditions of last week.
An electrical storm on Sunday, the worst in 25 years in south-east Queensland, caused major damage to parts of Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and the rain has stuck around, with heavy downpours in the central city again last night.
Ropati wasn't too concerned about the change in the climate.
"It's our sort of weather," the New Zealand Warrior said. "It sort of plays in our favour."
Whatever the conditions, Ropati said good ball security would have to be a feature of New Zealand's performance against Australia.
The Kiwis made numerous errors in eliminating England, although the Kangaroos also turned over some ball in their 52-0 win over Fiji in the other semifinal.
"It's not the only focus, but it's certainly an important an vital part of our game that we are looking to improve on," he said.
"Australia had a few problems there as well, so it sort of evened things up a bit, but there are a lot of areas we need to work on."
A major talking points in the build-up has been assistant coach Wayne Bennett's input into the New Zealand campaign.
It's an issue almost every Kiwi who fronts the media is quizzed about.
The interest, particularly on this side of the Tasman is understandable, given that Bennett is a former Kangaroo coach and a Queenslander to boot.
As well, the final will be played at Suncorp Stadium, home of the Brisbane Broncos, the club he guided to six premierships during 21 seasons there.
Ropati didn't see any "revenge factor" in Bennett's thinking ahead of the showdown with Australia.
Instead, he felt that Bennett's motivation for a top New Zealand performance was a desire to see international rugby league flourish.
"He wants to see us win the World Cup," he said.
"He wants to see the international game grow and that's dependent on us taking it to the Aussies and hopefully getting a win at the weekend."
Bennett joined up with the Kiwis in a mentoring role after the appointment of Stephen Kearney as coach to succeed Gary Kemble in the wake of the Kiwis' disastrous tour of Britain last year.
Ropati said Bennett, who has also had success with Queensland at State of Origin level, brought a big match calmness with him.
"He brings experience, he brings a sense of calmness when things are not going right," he said.
"He's pulled this team together, along with Stephen, from the woes of last year."
- NZPA
