Kangaroos hooker Cam Smith says there's little between Australia and New Zealand and predicts a tight contest in Friday's Anzac Test at AAMI Park.
While Australia has convincingly won the past two Anzac Tests, in Sydney and Brisbane, the teams' most recent clashes in tournaments, at the World Cup in 2008 and last year's Four Nations, resulted in a win to New Zealand and a 20-20 draw.
Speaking the day before the game, Smith said rather than be dispirited by the fact that Australia was no longer a clear world No.1 he's actually pleased that the likes of New Zealand and England can put up a challenge.
"Yeah I think it's going to be a great match given what's happened over the last couple of years," Smith said.
"There's not too much dividing both teams and I think as the guys were talking about before that's due to the coaching that the Kiwi boys are getting now, you see a lot of those guys playing in the NRL and they're getting better and better each year."
"It's great for the international game that the Australian side isn't out in front anymore."
"The Kiwis and the Aussies are certainly very strong and obviously the Poms are getting better each year."
"On a player's point of view, all the guys in the Australian camp are really excited about tomorrow night, getting to play in the new stadium AAMI Park, a purpose-built stadium in Victoria for our game and sold out as well."
Admitting that he gets just as much of a thrill from representing his country now as he did when he made his debut in 2006, Smith added that the team's final training run at AAMI Park on Thursday night will be important for acclimatisation.
"We've had two sessions this week and they haven't been overly long sessions, there's not too much you can put into a week's preparation," he said.
"It's important that we get everything done properly tonight (because) it's a new stadium, it's unfamiliar to a lot of the guys."
"It's about getting familiar with the field ... it can still be a tricky ground I think, looking at it just before there's a little bit of dew on the ground, it's a bit slippery and I think there's meant to be a bit of rain around (on Friday)."
With Smith and his Storm team-mates Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis and Billy Slater all in the Kangaroos team and fresh from playing big parts in recent runaway wins for their club since the salary cap scandal broke, coach Tim Sheens won't try and stifle their attacking flair.
"I wouldn't mind them playing entertaining football, if it's confident football and smart football," Sheens said.
"But you don't know what happens in a Test, it could open up, it could rain, it could be a slugfest."
"We could cancel each other out ... there's all sorts of things that could happen so you just don't predict those things but you just want the boys to play confidently and smart that's all."