"Freak" was all Australian coach Ricky Stuart needed to describe Greg Inglis after his sixth-minute heroics gave the Kangaroos the perfect start to Friday night's Centenary Test.

His play for Mark Gasnier's try laid the platform for a comfortable 28-12 win, but there was little comfort for the Kiwis in a blow from which they failed to recover.

Inglis juggled a precise Johnathan Thurston kick that went over Sam Perrett's head and then flicked the ball back over his own head as he sailed over the touchline.

The ball landed in the waiting hands of Gasnier who touched down with centimetres to spare, leaving even the Melbourne Storm magician amazed with his feat.

"We didn't know if it was a try or not," Inglis recalled.

"I just thought 'how the hell did I do that.

"It's just one of those things you've got to have a crack at. I should have caught the ball in the first place."

The lucky recipient of the basketball pass said he knew immediately that it was a try, even if the video referee was called to adjudicate.

"I just treated it like a slips catch," Gasnier said.

"I asked Greg if he'd landed and he said he didn't so I knew it was a try.

"It's probably the easiest try I've ever scored."

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