Stunned Kiwis look for answers

Fairfax Media

CLASH OF TITANS: Jonathon Thurston against New Zealand during the opening game of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.

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Wayne Bennett's silent stare said it all. The Kiwis' unlikely assistant coach sat in the losing dressing room and if looks could kill.

New Zealand skipper Nathan Cayless expected the Bennett blast to come today, while halfback Thomas Leuluai sat forlornly in the corner with his shirt off reflecting on his inability to stamp his mark on the 30-6 loss to Australia, who looked so classy half their team could have been sleepwalking and they might have won.

Steve Matai refused to answer questions on his latest high tackle and injury and Nathan Fien nursed an impressively developed shiner.

Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney was just "pissed off".

"It was just disappointing, just pissed off really," Kearney said last night.

"It was a wonderful crowd out there, it was the opening of the World Cup

"You can't turn over ball and you can't give away field position to an Australian side like that, through penalties, and expect to be competitive."

The Kiwis were so severely outplayed by the world champions that confidence looked shaken in the sheds.

It's the eighth straight loss to Australia but Kearney was steadfast in his belief that the tournament could be turned around, starting with Saturday's clash against a spirited Papua New Guinea side that led England with 10 minutes to go in the World Cup opener.

"We're not chucking in the towel now," he said.

"It's the first game for us against some real opposition, we thought our preparation had been pretty good up until tonight and this is a real indicator of where were at."

The coach stood by Leuluai, who was completely ineffective, but didn't rule out making changes, potentially shifting hooker Fien to halfback where he performed admirably in the Warriors' finals run and unleashing dynamic but error-prone rake Issac Luke.

"I don't think Thomas is to blame for that [the loss]," Kearney said.

"Once I've reviewed the tape, if I need to make appropriate changes then I will."

Kearney denied the Kiwis had entered the Sydney Football Stadium over-rating their ability after pasting Tonga in a warm-up. Australian coach Ricky Stuart said despite a low-key build-up and no warm-up games his team had burned with a desire to throw down a gauntlet to the competition.

That they did.

"One of the things we spoke about as a group was that it was our first game and we wanted to show the opposition we were here and seriously perform," Stuart said.

Stuart said he had no idea how much more Australia could improve but despite being one of the most dominant teams in world sport was not entering a one-horse race in the media.

"England and New Zealand have shown over the years they can get you at some stage so that's where weve got to be strong in the head.

"You can say what you want in regards to our favouritism to win the comp, it doesn't bother us because it just goes in one ear and out the other."

Stuart bristled at questions from a New Zealand journalist on Billy Slater's try-saving slide which if he continues the practice looks likely to end with the fullback's foot literally in someone's mouth.

"He's been warned not to do it but he did it tonight and he executed it correctly so would you prefer him not to do it?"

Skipper Darren Lockyer, at the heart of everything good Australia did, tried to downplay the significance of last night's anti-climactic romp.

"There's still four weeks to go in the competition so everyone in the competition is going to get better."

Unfortunately for the rest of the competition that includes Australia.

- © Fairfax NZ News