It was the two-minute horror movie the Kangaroos didn't want to see, but it was enough to remind them of the threat New Zealand - and in particular Benji Marshall - poses in Friday night's rugby league Test.

Australian coach Tim Sheens on Thursday morning made his side sit through the agonising climax to last year's Four Nations final, when the Kiwis engineered a Houdini-like escape to snare the silverware at Suncorp Stadium.

While Sheens denied the viewing was designed to be a motivational tool, it made for some uneasy viewing for several players, who had done their best to extinguish the memory of the last-minute loss.

"That was the first time I'd seen it," Kangaroos skipper Darren Lockyer said.

"As it was coming up, Tim said 'you probably don't want to see it, but I've just got to show you'.

"It was just an example of what Benji does and what he can do.

"It was hard to watch, put it that way. I didn't think it would be, but just watching it, it takes you back to the night.

"One thing I've learnt is you can't change the past."

The biggest problem for the Australians is end of season collapses to their trans-Tasman rivals are becoming far more common place, particularly since Marshall arrived on the international scene.

It was Marshall's impact on the Kiwi side that prompted Sheens - his coach at NRL level with Wests Tigers - to highlight the match-winning play from last year's final.

The veteran mentor is all-too aware the Australians can't afford to let up at any stage, despite New Zealand's poor record in mid-year Tests - their only win coming way back in 1998.

"It wasn't designed to motivate anyone or anything like that - it was just a matter of saying 'you cannot shut down on the Kiwis' - the last play of the last set of the game," Sheens said of the video session.

"It's just a reminder. It's a Test match ... you need to respect that and make sure you don't shut down or you'll get burnt.

"They've got speed, they've got ability, they've got confidence and a belief in themselves that's been gradually building.

"We can't expect that just because we're in the green and gold that it's going to happen."

While there's little doubt Marshall will pose the biggest threat, the Australians know this is no one-man band like it was back in the day when Stacey Jones had to almost single-handedly carry the Kiwis across the line.

In emerging halfback Kieran Foran, hooker Nathan Fien and back-up rake Issac Luke, New Zealand have plenty of creative force in their ranks.

"It's not all about Benji ... we're not focused on one player," Sheens said.

"I can tell them what size shorts he wears and things like that, but exactly what he's going to do, even I don't know at times so how am I going to coach (against) that?

"We've looked at their strengths and Benji is obviously one of them, but we're not focused on one particular player."

In doubt Australian trio Justin Hodges (back), Paul Gallen (calf) and Matt Scott (ankle) all trained on Thursday night.

But North Queensland centre Willie Tonga will link up with the side as cover if Hodges' injury flares up on Friday morning.

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