BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

The team came through as expected and all the regulars were there: Smith, Cronk, Thurston, Boyd. Coach Mal Meninga even picked Blake Ferguson and Trent Merrin. Now that’s loyalty!

What Meninga’s side also tells us is that with so little time to prepare, he’s forced to pick the majority of the team that won the Four Nations in 2016. The flow on effect is that we’ll get the same game plan we’ve always had under Meninga. Be clinically ruthless and make sure we win the game.

From the moment Meninga dusted off his expected team list, Kiwi Coach David Kidwell should have been scribbling down the most offensively-minded team he could conjure up.

New Zealand didn’t win the 2008 World Cup by being clinical and they never beat Australia any other time recently by trying to win a 10-8 arm wrestle.

Their best chance in Canberra at GIO Stadium and at the World Cup is to play free flowing, aggressive rugby league – the way it’s meant to be played.

We know how Australia will play – they’re the methodical robots that have played a zillion games together.

The Kiwis can’t play Australia’s game.

In the corresponding match last year, the Kangaroos outlasted New Zealand 16-0 in one of the dourest showings in years. The people in Newcastle should have gotten their money back that night. Sure the Kiwis were down on troops but the Kangaroos never looked like getting out of second gear. It was ugly stuff.

Fast forward to October last year and Australia beat Kidwell’s team in Perth. Australia took an 8-6 lead into half-time and eventually squeezed the life out of them 26-6.

In the Four Nations, Australia beat them 14-8 in Coventry. That day, Ferguson and Thurston scored tries within the opening fifteen minutes. They didn’t score again but they held on to win – squeeze, squeeze, squeeze.

They met again in the Final with the Kangaroos shooting out to 24-0 lead at the break – they won the second-half 10-8.

In the Meninga era, it’s about just doing enough to win and trust the machine.

New Zealand need to be fearless and trust their instincts.

Here is your Kangaroos squad for the upcoming #RoosKiwis Test Match in Canberra on May 5!#GoTheRoos pic.twitter.com/ZJRMJC50ON

— Gallagher Australian Kangaroos (@Kangaroos) April 26, 2017

We will be announcing the official New Zealand Kiwis and Jr Kiwis teams exclusively here on Twitter this Sunday, April 30#TeIwiKiwi 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/ia16zmijZq

— NZ Rugby League (@NZRL_Kiwis) April 27, 2017

They can’t copy the Kangaroos.

New Zealand are successful when they play like New Zealand. And they have the players to play football too. From Shaun Johnson to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Kieran Foran and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Jason Taumalolo, Jesse Bromwich, Issac Luke and giant youngster Nelson Asofa-Solomona.

Let them play footy.

The clash in Canberra isn’t just a one-off game. This match has implications for the World Cup. If the Kiwis don’t chance their hand and Australia win another 12-10 slugfest, Meninga takes the same core of players into the Cup and he does it without raising a sweat. If New Zealand can ambush the Kangaroos next week, really shock them, that forces Meninga’s hand.

“This Test match (team) was picked based on our loyalty and their success in the Four Nations, the way they’ve been playing at the beginning of the year as well,” Meninga said.

“That doesn’t mean to say we’ll be true to this at the back end of the year when we get through the season, finals footy and Origin.

“So they will become part of the criteria when we pick the World Cup squad at the end of the year.”

It’s now up to New Zealand whether they let the Kangaroos cruise through to the World Cup by trying to play like Kangaroos or play the way they want to and shake things up.

A big Kiwi win in Canberra gives Meninga and Australia doubt.

Paranoia, even.

Pressure does amazing things.

A Kiwi amongst the pigeons.

@woodward_curtis