Veteran Australian prop Petero Civoniceva rates the current Kiwis rugby league team as the best he's seen.

Saturday's Eden Park test between the Kiwis and Australia will be far from a dead rubber.

The Kiwis will have learned little after last night's 76-12 trouncing of Papua New Guinea at Rotorua International Stadium.

New Zealand made easy work of underdogs Papua New Guinea tonight to score a record 76-12 victory in Rotorua.

Front-rower Sam McKendry is "living the dream" as he prepares to make his test debut for the Kiwis on Saturday night.

The Kiwis won the opening battle of the Four Nations last night, but victory came at a high cost.

Papua New Guinea's Kumuls face an uphill battle to come anywhere near the Kangaroos in Sydney today.

Kiwis captain Benji Marshall led his side to a 24-10 victory over England at Westpac Stadium tonight.

Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney has made some positional swaps and one change for Saturday's Four Nations opener against England.

English enforcer Sam Burgess has nominated Souths teammate Issac Luke as the player he'd most like to bash in Saturday's Four Nations opener.

Jarryd Hayne's demise completes the comeback of Lote Tuqiri to the very top of rugby league.

Woe is England. Much woe, with captain Adrian Morley ruled out of the Four Nations with a torn bicep.

There was a sense of nervousness about the Kiwis before last night's game. Benji Marshall even said the result wasn't important.