Australia v N Zealand: Teams

Australia skipper Darren Lockyer, Willie Tonga, Billy Slater and Luke Lewis all return to the side to face New Zealand in Saturday's Four Nations final.

The Kangaroos won last weekend's warm-up game 34-20 in Auckland and strengthen their side with the return of four of the game's superstars.

The hosts in Brisbane are holders and favourites but New Zealand will be hoping to pull off a repeat of their last performance at Lang Park.

The Kiwis last faced the Kangaroos there in the 2008 World Cup final and pulled off a shock victory over their Trans-Tasman rivals.

But New Zealand have lost three and drawn one of their meetings with Australia since that triumph and will be looking to skipper Benji Marshall to spark another coup on Saturday.

Outstanding

Marshall was outstanding as the Kiwis lost out in the final round robin match last week and coach Stephen Kearney has made just two changes to that team.

Prop Greg Eastwood has been brought off the bench for his 17th Test appearance while Bronson Harrison gets a start at the back of the pack.

"As a group we were very disappointed with our performance last week," Kearney said. "We need to make significant improvements in all areas this week if we are to compete against a very good Australian team."

Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens admitted he had been helped in his selection by Petero Civoniceva after the most-capped prop declared himself unavailable.

"He battled last week against the New Zealand offence down the middle and he admitted to me that I couldn't pick him which is a big statement," Sheens said of the 44-Test veteran. "But he wants to continue next year."

That means Matt Scott and David Shillington are the first-choice props with Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Nate Myles named as back-up front-rowers on the bench.

Australia: Slater, Morris, Tate, Tonga, Tuqiri, Lockyer (capt), Cronk, Scott, Smith, Shillington, Lewis, Thaiday, Gallen.
Replacements: Learoyd-Lahrs, Bird, Gidley, Myles, Watmough, Boyd.

New Zealand: Hohaia, Nightingale, Kenny-Dowall, Sa'u, Perrett, Marshall (capt), Fien, Eastwood, Leuluai, Blair, Harrison, Mannering, Smith.
Replacements: Luke, Matulino, Nuuausala, McKendry, Manu, Warea-Hargreaves, Brown.