Former England Coach Steve McNamara knows how important Simon Mannering is to New Zealand.

McNamara coached England against the Kiwis before moving to the New Zealand Warriors as an assistant coach. McNamara is now part of the Kiwi International coaching staff.

And McNamara says New Zealand has struggled in Mannering’s absence over the last two years.

“He’s one of those players you weigh from a distance how important he is to a group, but you’re not quite sure until you’re in that group the sort of influence that he can have,” McNamara said.

“It’s quite clear from the first day I walked in to the Warriors that the influence and impact Simon has on the people around him.

“He’s a very good player himself, make no mistake about that, but he has that presence and he brings the best out of others.”

Australia and New Zealand clash at GIO Stadium for the final time ahead of the World Cup.