Rugby league live updates: Kiwis v Kangaroos

All the action as the Kiwis take on the Kangaroos in the Oceania Cup in Wollongong tonight.

Shaun Johnson has a chance to join an exclusive group on Friday against the Kangaroos.

If the Kiwis triumph in Woollongong, Johnson will claim his fifth career victory over the men in green and gold.

Given the relative rarity of Kiwis' successes down the years, that's quite a statistic.

Especially considering how often some legends of the game enjoyed wins over Australia, from Kiwis' player of the century Mark Graham (once) to Olsen Filipaina (once), Kurt Sorensen (twice) and Gary Freeman (twice).

Even Benji Marshall has only featured in two test wins over the Kangaroos, from 15 encounters.

Only six players have managed a quintet of transtasman truimphs in the modern era, and the names won't surprise.

Stacey Jones and Rueben Wiki were cornerstones of Frank Endacott's successful teams in the late 1990s, and the double sucess during the 2005 Tri Nations campaign.

Simon Mannering, Manu Vatuvei, Adam Blair and Greg Eastwood also feature, as their careers encompass the 2008 World Cup and 2010 Four Nations victories, and the three-peat across 2014 and 2015.

Thomas Leuluai was also part of that era, and the unlikely 2003 win at North Harbour stadium.

Johnson, with wins in 2014 (two), 2015 and 2018, could be the next, which would be appropriate.

For all his critics, and perceived shortcomings, the former Warriors favourite has been central to the evolution of the Kiwis.

He was man of the match in the 2014 Four Nations final, and superb in the tournament opener that year.

In 2015 he came into the Anzac test under a cloud, after a disappointing start to the Warriors campaign, then played the house down at Suncorp stadium.

Johnson struggled in the 2017 World Cup, in a team full of issues, but was a strong performer in the 26-24 win at Mt Smart last year.

The focus has been on captain Marshall this week, but his halves partner is arguably more important.

It's Johnson that can provide those moments that can turn a match, while his long kicking game and organisational skills will be pivotal to the Kiwis chances.

But New Zealand will be outsiders. Jesse Bromwich, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and the underrated Issac Liu are significant losses from the pack, while the bench is possibly the greenest in Kiwis history, with three rookies (Zane Tetevano, Braden Hamlin-Uele and Corey Harawira-Naera) and Melbourne utility Jahrome Hughes.

Contrast that with the Kangaroos, who can call on the impact of Wade Graham, Ben Hunt, Paul Vaughan and the explosive power of Payne Haas.

Not surprisingly, coach Michael Maguire expects the work out of possession will make the difference on Friday.

"Our focus is around our defence," said Maguire. "History tells you that defence can win you competitions and can win you games. We are very aware of the capabilities of the opposition, but it is the connections we have across the line.

It will be a defensive minded game, because I am very comfortable with the team we have in attack, so it's the little things defensively that I am looking forward to watching, especially with the younger guys coming in. [They] have a lot of energy, but it's also the ability to concentrate on each moment and get your job done when you are defending."

Maguire also downplayed the significance of playing on Australian soil, where the Kiwis have lost eight of 10 encounters since 2011.

"It's what's between your ears that tells you whether you are playing at home or playing away," said Maguire. "To be the great team that these players want to be, you have to be able to play anywhere.

"Whether you are playing home or away is actually quite irrelevant in how I coach my teams. The ability of great teams is the conditioning of being able to play wherever you have to [and] whatever you need to do to get that win, you need to be able to find it. That's what makes up great teams."