THE real trans-Tasman rivalry is not tonight's 100-year anniversary Test match between Australia and New Zealand at the SCG but the feud between rival coaches, the Kangaroos' Ricky Stuart and the Kiwis' assistant, Wayne Bennett.

Forget Stuart's words about Bennett's role assisting New Zealand as being "good for international football."

Stuart would rather change his sex than his nationality. Nor does Bennett's broad church view of the code sit comfortably with some in the Australian camp who are paranoid about the Kangaroos maintaining their dominance.

When Bennett returned to coaching Australia four years ago, he declared it was to raise the competitiveness of international football. New Zealand went on to thrash Australia 24-0 in the Tri-Nations final in 2005 in Leeds, prompting one wag to say, "Well, he's certainly done that."

Bennett subsequently resigned, Stuart inherited the post and, after some bitter exchanges where Stuart accused his predecessor of allowing passion to drain from the national team, Bennett made a secret agreement to coach the Roosters, ensuring Stuart was sacked from his Bondi Junction post.

The code's critics cite Bennett's role as exhibit A in the case that international league is an insular, closed, conflict driven world, conveniently ignoring Robbie Deans, the former All Black, is in charge of the Wallabies. They also argue the Kiwis' head coach Stephen Kearney is an assistant at the Storm, who have provided half Australia's starting team, as well as the captain.

Yet the match, played exactly 100 years to the day the two teams met at the same venue, is hardly a contrived contest, unlike the AFL anniversary "Tribute Match" in Melbourne 24 hours later between Victoria and a ubiquitous, ethereal Dream Team.

It's been billed as "the greatest game in 150 years", yet the lead-up has been dominated by conjecture all week whether Brisbane's Jonathan Brown will fly to Melbourne to captain Victoria, despite the reservations of his club coach.

AFL State of Origin football died when the competition expanded to include teams from NSW and Queensland and another two from South and Western Australia. However, rugby league's State of Origin series continues to excite passions across the land, despite the inclusion of the Titans and Cowboys and expansion to Melbourne.

An Australia versus New Zealand Test match still sits below Origin, evidenced by ticket sales of fewer than 10,000, but it's a genuine contest and the antagonism between Stuart and Bennett is not manufactured. Fans know these two would rather chew on balls of alfoil than lose to each other tonight.

Stuart and Bennett inhabit different worlds. Rickyland is a small isthmus cut off from the mainland at high tide, where only the loyal are welcome and even then some have their passports cancelled.

Wayne's world is even smaller but his broad church worship means he has many disciples. His first loyalty is to his family, followed by a few chosen confidantes and what's left goes to the game. He's learnt the Kiwi handshake and has promised Kearney he would do everything except the haka.

It's not that "the skinny coach" is concerned about perceptions of disloyalty; it's his problem with sticking his tongue out in public.

"Sticky", however, wears his heart on his sleeve, is glued to his team and if anyone dares criticise his players, he will give you two tits for one tat.

Bennett presents himself as so square, he is divisible by four, while Stuart can be as complicated as a Rubik's cube. The truth is they are the opposite of their perceived geometry: teetotaller Bennett has more angles than a Queensland politician, while Stuart, over a beer, is as straight as 180 degrees.

Stuart is the darling of the Sydney News Ltd press, while Bennett lost the support of senior Murdoch men when he signed with the Roosters.

Next year, with Bennett switching to the Dragons, they will be in charge of neighbouring clublands. Stuart's Cronulla, insularly called "The Shire" by the locals, is surrounded by St George Illawarra and the two districts are as friendly as Athens and Sparta.

Both coaches will protest their enmity has nothing to do with tonight's match but it may already have spread to the selection of the Australian team. The Kangaroos have four players whose eyes can roll like the reels of a poker machine - Stuart's two lethal Sharks, Paul Gallen and Greg Bird; the Cowboys' fort on feet, Carl Webb; and Melbourne's brutally efficient Michael Crocker, while big Willie Mason's pupils enlarge to the size of pocketwatches when fury erupts.

But the Kiwis won't engage in a "match fire with fire" game, nor be intimidated by one.

It's not the way of the noble, dignified, decent Kearney, nor is it Bennett's go, either. New Zealand could have drawn on a couple of Bennett's men in the Broncos, such as the intimidating Tonie Carroll, or even the stocky, skilful Greg Eastwood and talked big Ruben Wiki back from retirement.

Instead, they have rewarded youth, choosing Souths' energetic Issac Luke, Rooster Setaimata Sa and Dragons winger Jason Nightingale to all make their international debuts.

Australia's tough-man tactics were signalled when captain and five-eighth Darren Lockyer withdrew and was effectively replaced by second-rower Crocker, with Bird switching from lock to pivot. The problem is Lockyer's absence deprives Australia of a long kicking game.

Australia will be forced to rely on Cam Smith's left-foot kicks from dummy half, or move Greg Inglis from wing to five-eighth where his midfield kicks go so high the ball gathers ice and will certainly terrify the Kiwis' diminutive fullback, Brent Webb.

OK, Bird played five-eighth last year when Australia thrashed New Zealand in Wellington but Cooper Cronk, who was a late call-up yesterday as cover for Johnathan Thurston, was half, communicating kicks with his Melbourne teammate, Smith. Thurston's kicking game is still evolving and his six Tests have all been with Lockyer, meaning his training injury and the possibility Cronk will replace him could be a plus.

The Roosters' Braith Anasta has a longer kicking game than either half but he's at Ricky's old club which recently lost one of their best, Test reserve Anthony Tupou, to Cronulla for the next four years.

When you're fighting a 100-year war, memories are long but loyalties are transient.