D-Day for Kiwis: It’s time to deliver

It’s not just David Kidwell’s job that the Kiwis are playing for.

Nine games into Kidwell’s tenure as New Zealand head coach, the team has won just three times. The blemishes include last year’s draw with Scotland and the 28-22 defeat to Tonga a week ago.

Any Kiwis coach is going to struggle against Australia or run at about 60 per cent in their clashes with England. But when the minnows start tipping you over, then there’s problems.

In theory, at least, New Zealand ought to win today’s Rugby League World Cup quarterfinal against Fiji by 20 points. Theirs is a team of highly paid NRL professionals, playing guys plucked from Sydney’s Ron Massey Cup club competition.

Yet such has been the unconvincing nature of the Kiwis’ football under Kidwell, that no-one’s taking victory at Westpac Stadium as a given, to the extent that captain Adam Blair was asked yesterday if they had to win to keep their coach employed.

‘‘We’re playing for each other. Everyone that’s involved. We’re playing for the people that we’ve left behind. Our families, our partners. We make sacrifices to be in this team,’’ Blair said, when questioned about Kidwell’s future.

‘‘Everyone’s passionate and proud to be able to wear this jersey, so everything’s on the line. Not only everyone’s jobs, but our positions in this team too.’’

In their sport, Blair added, ‘‘jobs are on the line’’ most weeks.

But New Zealand came into this tournament as the second-ranked team in the world and now face the very real prospect of not even making the final.

Beat Fiji and the Kiwis’ reward is a semifinal against Australia in Brisbane next week. The draw had been designed for them to host England at Mt Smart Stadium in the semis, but the defeat to Tonga put paid to that.

Kiwis halfback Shaun Johnson said after the Tonga loss that not making the final would represent a failure. Blair, though, backtracked from that position.

‘‘I wouldn’t say a failed campaign. We’re trying to build some- thing bigger than what we’re doing here, for the legacy we want to leave behind,’’ said Blair.

A ‘‘Mana Group’’ has been established within the side, with the aim of breeding a culture of success that will last decades. For now, unfortunately, it’s mediocrity that reigns.

Blair insists this is a happy, united, confident New Zealand side, all working hard in pursuit of a common goal. From the outside, their play suggests a disconnect between the backs and forwards. The pack has been good all tournament, providing a decent platform to play off.

But beyond some individual or broken play stuff from fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and, latterly, wing Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, the back play has lacked authority and direction.

Changes in the ‘‘spine,’’ which have seen Te Maire Martin named at five-eighth and Danny Levi introduced at hooker, are attempts to address that.

Fiji are a mixture of genuine stars – such as Jarryd Hayne, Suliasi Vunivalu, Akuila Uate and Apisai Koroisau – and part-timers, so you would expect a team of New Zealand’s pedigree to wear them down eventually.

"We're playing for the people that we've left behind. Our families, our partners."

Kiwis captain Adam Blair, right, watched by under-fire coach David Kidwell