KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY - He's the man all eyes will be on at Aussie Stadium on Saturday and Kiwis rugby league veteran Nigel Vagana vows not to let him out of his sight.
Whether Vagana and his Kiwis teammates can contain the mercurial Darren Lockyer in the Tri-Nations final is another matter, but it will go a long way to deciding the result of the most eagerly-awaited league test of the year.
Vagana, 31, was again named at five-eighth yesterday by coach Brian McClennan for their title defence in an unchanged Kiwis side from their 34-4 win over Great Britain on November 11.
It means the man who has played in every Kiwis Tri-Nations test since 1999 will again eyeball Lockyer, who, in the absence of the unavailable Andrew Johns, has lifted his play to a new level this year.
"A lot of people have tried and a lot of people have failed. He won the award again last night, and well deserved, he's a class player," Vagana said.
"I'll be the one to try and shut him down."
The award in question was the golden boot for international player of the year at the Rugby League International Federation awards dinner on Monday night.
Lockyer headed off Kiwis legends Ruben Wiki and 2002 winner Stacey Jones to claim the award for a second time.
As captain of the Kangaroos Lockyer is also eyeing a rare treble if his team claim victory on Saturday, having led Brisbane to a National Rugby League (NRL) title and Queensland to the State of Origin series also in 2006.
Vagana, a 208-match NRL veteran who will join South Sydney next season, admitted Lockyer had not played better than this year alongside his Queensland teammate Johnathan Thurston.
"I think he's picking his times better. When Johns was coming into the latter part of his career he started getting a bit wiser and I think Lockyer's doing the same thing and it's working for him."
The Kiwis should have won the last match between the sides in Melbourne last month before a stunning Lockyer cutout pass sent away young flyer Greg Inglis for a long range try, before Mark Gasnier scored on the fulltime hooter to seal a 20-15 win.
Vagana played in the No 6 jersey that day and has retained it for the final, despite maintaining he's more comfortable at centre.
With Stacey Jones now back to his best after a slow start, it's a role that now sits more comfortably with Vagana, a 37-test veteran.
"Stacey pretty much runs the show. We can get a makeshift six like me in there when we've got a dominant No 7. Stacey runs it and if he gets caught up for a tackle or two I'll jump in there.
"I play centre in club football but that's the way that Bluey's (McClennan) wanted us to play and it works all right that I'm at six."
Vagana said the battle between two powerful forward packs would still play the biggest role in deciding the match as the Kiwis trained in near 35degC temperatures at Parramatta.
Jones, meanwhile, said Lockyer held the key but self belief wasn't a problem for the Kiwis.
"They've got world-class players everywhere and with Darren Lockyer running the show we'll be under the pump a little bit," Jones said.
"We'd like to think over 80 minutes we can put a bit of pressure on the Australians.
"I've improved every game and I feel like I've got a good combination going with my forwards and with Nigel as well.
"There's going to be a lot of pride and passion out there and hopefully that can get us through."
- NZPA
