Rugby League: Brave front put on Kiwis' changing faces

By Peter Jessup

The Kiwis remain upbeat about their chances in the Anzac test against Australia on Friday despite an injury toll starting to look like a casualty list from Gallipoli.

Captain Quentin Pongia was given every opportunity to prove he was well Before training yesterday he was given two injections to the abdomen to see if he could stifle the pain of a rib cartilage tear. But after a few short sprints he ruled himself out, in fairness to the team.

Warriors prop Terry Hermansson had been on standby and was rushed into Sydney, arriving at 6 pm, to take the bench place of Balmain's Jason Lowrie, who moves up to a start.

And bench player Tony Puletua is out with a bad ankle. He will be replaced by travelling reserve Matt Rua from Melbourne. Two weeks ago Rua was playing for Brisbane Norths, Melbourne's feeder club, against the Toowoomba Clydesdales.

Despite these drawbacks, the best summation of the feeling in the Kiwi camp at training at Parramatta Stadium yesterday was from Robbie Paul, who stepped off a plane from Manchester at 5 am.

"We didn't come all this way to lose, mate."

Paul called the shots in the backline yesterday with new captain Jarrod McCracken guiding the forwards with confidence despite learning he was the man two minutes into the warm-up when coach Frank Endacott accepted Pongia's honest assessment and changed his team yet again.

And Endacott was his usual self, cracking jokes about bringing his boots.

"At the end of the day common sense has to prevail," he said of leaving his captain on the sideline, though with a commission to be with the team daily to guide the young guys.

And Henry and Robbie Paul were "bubbly, wide awake - they're ready to go."

Robbie recommended British Airways business class as the way to go. "They knew who we were. They pampered us."

He and Henry were "pretty pointed we wanted the two associations [NZRL and ERFL] to sort it out between themselves. We just want to play - that's the way we want it to be, to be told what to do."

The brothers didn't look jetlagged, Henry hitting the posts with early, easy shots then slotting from the sideline and Robbie giving smart service to the backs to help the team completing its 90-minute morning run with only one dropped ball.

Endacott reckons the Aussies picked a physically big side with the intention of running over the Kiwis.

"We won't be intimidated. We won't take a backward step." The Kiwis are heavier and will need big performances from their big players.

The Pauls offer an unfamiliar combination to the Kangaroos; Stacey Jones has pressure off because he's not captain or kicker and has good players around him; the Aussies have met Joe Vagana at speed but he needs to remind them who he is.

Kangaroo coach Chris Anderson has indicated he'll attack out wide, presumably with big forwards, at new backs and with kicks, by talking of the inexperience from Lesley Vainikolo on one side to Willie Talau on the other.

Robbie Paul and Jarrod McCracken both cited the new blood as a positive. There's hope.

The Kangaroos yesterday ruled out new hooker Craig Gower, claiming he injured himself at the for-the-press run on the beach at Coogee on Monday, an accident none of the media noted. Andrew Johns comes from the bench, Rooster centre Matt Sing to it.