There we have it, the Kiwis are Four Nations champions. One could be forgiven for not being excessively confident following that first up victory over the Kangaroos as we've all seen it before. However, this year definitely had a different vibe to it. While media folk could only find negatives with the side that was selected for the ANZAC test, it was first of all forced by injuries but this gave a few lads a good sense of what test footy was about.

For me, it's summed up by Peta Hiku who has grown with each performance in a black jersey. He's had his moments that make you wanna punch the tele, but he looked very solid on Saturday night, full of confidence and extremely proud to represent New Zealand. The same can be said of the rest of the squad this year, they all seemed to buy in to the vibes of the Kiwi jersey which could be a product of playing games around New Zealand. It must have been awesome for the players to go around NZ and see the support, see with their own eyes that rugby league is alive and well throughout our land. For the lads who have spent a lot of time in Australia, this might not have been as evident but it's hard to ignore the momentum of rugby league in NZ.

Trying to pin point players is stink as the whole team was pretty good, I'd be a dick to leave anyone out as they all had their moments. The forward pack made me feel better about myself as someone who writes about rugby league as they showcased the power, footwork, skill and mobility that I've talked shit about for the past few weeks. For me this was clear against Australia when Jason Taumalolo left the field, he's obviously a great young player and was at his destructive best but the work of Greg Eastwood who replaced him was equal to Taumalolo's if not better. It's not a diss at Taumalolo, just an observation that the Kiwis have layers to their play ... just look at Martin Taupau. The aggression and power of the Kiwis wasn't lost when different players got their mits on the funky new Steeden. #Taupau hope you're all good mate!

It's all yin and yang out in the back line. The Kiwis wouldn't have won without the sublime attack of Shaun Johnson, but he wouldn't have been able to function without Kieran Foran. Neither of our halves would have been able to do much if Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Dean Whare didn't do excellent defensive jobs on Dylan Walker and Michael Jennings. Straight up, Walker and Jennings are better than SKD and Whare, but which pair dominated? SKD is back to his Inspector Gadget best - long strides and big fends while Whare is the centre every coach wants to have. The Kiwis would be nothing without Jason Nightingale and Manu Vatuvei who did what all good wingers do - finish. They had plenty of work to do once they received the ball for their tries, but they scored them. Perfect. And Hiku, solid ... it's been a while since I've felt confident in a Kiwis fullback to mop up perfectly and catch bombs, solid.

Most importantly, this Kiwis side played how we want our Kiwis to play. The combination of smart rugby league, tough rugby league and a bit of razzle dazzle is the optimum and the Kiwis were pretty much all of that. They defended strongly especially as the Kangaroos came off their try line, driving them back and they let them know what was up. Sure, being super tough and gritty gives you a great chance to win but this Kiwis side were also highly entertaining, both for the bandwagon rugby league fans and the avid admirers of rugby league. 

The Aussies will do their best to play it down, but the fact that the Kiwis were without many of their very best players must not be lost. I'll do a seperate look at the Kangaroos as well as a look in to the future for the Kiwis, but this Kiwis win should fill the nation with joy. Your national rugby league team won the Four Nations playing a great style of rugby league, as well as representing all us mere kiwi folk with pride. Tu meke.