League: Tense day for Kiwi big guns

Kiwis hooker Issac Luke fronts the NRL judiciary tonight while injured duo Benji Marshall and Jeremy Smith look to get through the team's first serious training session. Photos / Getty Images

BRISBANE - It's D-Day for some of the Kiwis' most important figures today as the transtasman league test countdown reaches the 48-hour mark.

Coach Steve Kearney will be crossing his fingers that captain Benji Marshall (corked leg) and key forward Jeremy Smith (ankle sprain) get through the team's first serious training at Brisbane's Easts Rugby League Club after sitting out much of yesterday's light session.

Then all focus switches to National Rugby League (NRL) headquarters in Sydney as hooker Issac Luke defends his grade one striking charge with the help of top barrister Geoff Bellew, in the hope of avoiding a one-match ban which would rule him out of Friday's Suncorp Stadium test.

Kearney admitted he was baffled by the charge, from a seemingly minor incident against Gold Coast and Kangaroos forward Anthony Laffranchi.

"Nothing seems to surprise me coming out of the weekend's games any more. This time of the week it's a little difficult but we'll get over it," Kearney said.

"We've got no expectations of an outcome. We're just preparing as if (Luke) is there and he'll be training with us, and if not, we've brought in Dene Halatau, that's all we can do. " Luke will fly to Sydney this afternoon and return to Brisbane after the hearing (8pm NZT).

Laffranchi said he "didn't read too much into it," when he made a tackle on Luke late in the NRL match last Saturday.

No penalty was awarded and Luke wasn't placed on report, before the NRL's match review committee decided on Monday he had a case to answer.

Kangaroos hooker Cameron Smith sympathised with Luke, having missed last year's grand final due to a two-week ban for a grapple tackle, but stopped short of calling for NRL suspensions not to count in test matches.

"The system's in place to look after these things. It's not for any players or coaches to comment on whether players should miss a test or a State of Origin or grand final because of a charge," Smith said.

"If someone's going to get suspended, they might as well get suspended, no matter what time of year it is."

The Kangaroos had their own issues yesterday with star fullback Billy Slater limping away from training after rolling an ankle.

Early reports were that Slater would be fit to play, and he later emerged from the dressing sheds to board the team bus saying: "I'll be right".

Winger Darius Boyd (corked thigh) and prop Luke Bailey (knee) trained yesterday and were expected to be cleared.

The Kangaroos were installed red-hot A$1.30 favourites with Australia's TAB Sportsbet, with the Kiwis A$3.40 outsiders despite their stunning 34-20 World Cup final victory in November.

New Zealand are winless in the last seven Anzac tests, all played in Australia.

- NZPA