Although the Kiwis have made it to the finals of the Four Nations and are set to battle it out against Australia on Sunday, their performance throughout the tournament so far has been underwhelming.
A betting man would be sure to put his money on Australia taking the victory due to the Kiwis previous performances but I strongly believe the Kiwis are capable of making a come back from their dispiriting draw against Scotland and beat the Kangaroos.
Before the tournament had begun, there was discussion that this was the strongest Kiwi side New Zealand had ever had, especially the forwards pack.
With some of the biggest names in the NRL including Jesse Bromwich, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Jason Taumalolo and Martin Taupau, The Kiwis were expected to steamroll over the Kangaroos but unfortunately the forwards have not been dominating which contributed to the draw with Scotland and the disappointing 14-8 defeat to the Kangaroos.
One of the highlights for the Kiwis so far was the second game they played against Australia. Although the Kangaroos made them look like amateurs in the first half, the Kiwis picked up their game and came back with determination and a fierce attitude to win.
The Kangaroos held on but were becoming tired as the Kiwi pack kept pushing and ended up with a try by Rapana with 3 minutes to spare. The second half of this game gave fans a glimpse of hope. I believe if the game had gone on any longer the Kiwis would have worn down the Australian side and won the game.
History has shown that the Kiwis are a team that improves over time which is why I am not surprised with their lackluster performances thus far.
We have the talent to win and come out on top, but ultimately it depends on how bad the Kiwis want the win and whether they can gel together to reach their full potential.
