At the time of writing this wonderful thingy-ma-jig, Mal Meninga had not named his Kangaroos side to face the Kiwis in Perth. I could have waiting an hour to see what Meninga dished up, however it's simply not important and kinda sums up the general vibe of this trans-Tasman Test. We know the team that David Kidwell has gone with and there are a few selections that reinforce my belief that neither team is going to show all their cards in this game, there is a bigger fish to fry in the coming weeks over in England.

Some would view that as having a negative impact on this Test, I'm hyped though and it still stands alone as an exciting contest between rivals. Perth is home to plenty of kiwis and is an ideal location to play a Test like this as this game will showcase international rugby league in a market that rugby league is trying to break into. I don't doubt that a handy crowd will show up to see this Test - based on that large kiwi presence in Perth - and they will be treated to another chapter in what is shaping up as a highly entertaining ongoing battle between the Kangaroos and Kiwis.

This battle or rivalry has reached greater heights in recent times because the Kiwis have found their niche or identity and how Kidwell takes that identity while adding his own flavour to it will be interesting. Many Kangaroos players have talked about how Kidwell will instill more passion, or more notably greater aggression and as kiwi rugby league fans we should be bloody excited about that. That idea makes sense given how Kidwell played his footy Australian players can also draw on the fact that many of them have enjoyed Kidwell's presence in their coaching staff at various NRL clubs; contemplating Kidwell's apparent aggressive style with the resources at his disposal is a scary thought.

There are always many minor aspects of a game like this that will provide intrigue, whether that's Jordan Kahu's work at fullback, Solomone Kata and Jordan Rapana's debut or the control offered by Australia's halves. All those minor intricacies will play second-fiddle to what this Kiwis forward pack does and how the Australian forward pack goes about limiting the influence of such a beastly group of forward.

Josh Papalii's absence is huge in that regard as he offers size and power along with great feet, which is perfectly suited to facing this Kiwis forward pack. When writing about Papalii this year, I always refer back to Papalii's work in Origin where he was a gun for Queensland through the middle in game two and was one of their most effective forwards. Papalii was then absent for game three and Queensland lost.

Aaron Woods, Matt Scott, David Klemmer, Trent Merrin and Shannon Boyd are all big lads but the key will be their speed and mobility in that middle third. The Kiwis forward pack named aren't just big, they are able to step between defenders and/or burst on to the footy and use their speed to attack the ruck area. We know that because footwork is the staple of Jesse Bromwich's work and Jason Taumalolo won the Dally M award via big metres around the ruck area, throw in the likes of Martin Taupau who will roll through the middle and the wave of power will be never-ending.

This game will provide us with an insight into some general stylistic elements of either team's play. The Kangaroos are led by Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk who are the top-dawgs at the Storm where they pound the middle of the field, while I suspect we'll see the Kiwis go further down that route as they use their powerful forwards and Issac Luke to work the 'Roos over up the guts. Drawing multiple defenders into the middle to slow Taumalolo, Taupau, Bromwich, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves etc down will then give the Kiwis a bit of space out wide to attack in 'good ball'.

Usually, that's how I would envision the Australian's also playing. The have great play-makers, so it is all about getting those play-makers into areas of the field where they can roll through their perfectly executed, creative set-plays. Given the size and power of the Kiwis forward pack, the Kangaroos could opt for a more free-spirited style, drawing on the strength of the Cronulla Sharks.

Meninga's Queensland teams featuring the key members of this Kangaroos side, tended to play percentages and keep their opponent coming off their own try-line as they rely on their defensive work to win a territorial battle. The Kiwis will make metres, they will get a roll on and probably won't be pinned down, opening the door for Australia to hit their edges earlier and more frequently with greater intent to move the Kiwis around. That's also plays into the strength of the Kangaroos, which is in their outside backs group that will include the likes of Greg Inglis and Josh Dugan in the centres. The Kangaroos will likely try to get them early ball out on the edges and if they can bust a tackle, offload or get a quick play-the-ball it's job done as the Kiwis defensive line will scramble and that's when the structure of Thurston and Cronk will take over.

Enjoy the show because that's exactly what this game is about. Any time we get to see the Kangaroos and Kiwis do battle is a great time, especially with the Four Nations lurking as it adds some context to the footy that we are going to be treated to.