The last thing Brisbane needs right now is more stormy weather, but some Kiwis - like their side growing in confidence by the day - are claiming lightning might strike again on Saturday night in the World Cup final.

Stacey Jones, the halfback in New Zealand's Tri-Nations victory of 2005 - when the Kiwis went into the final as underdogs but won the decider 24-0 - believes the man who lost his job after that failed Australian campaign, Wayne Bennett, will give the Kiwis their biggest advantage ahead of another showdown with the Kangaroos in similar circumstances.

Somewhat remarkably, Kiwis mentor Stephen Kearney and Bennett, his assistant, have coached no fewer than eight of the expected Australian starting side and 10 of the 17-man squad through various roles. Kearney, through assisting Craig Bellamy at Melbourne, has spent far more time with fullback Billy Slater, outside backs Israel Folau and Greg Inglis and hooker Cam Smith than the Australian coach, Ricky Stuart.

Bennett, meanwhile, has coached captain Darren Lockyer, key forward Petero Civoniceva and winger Brent Tate at Brisbane (and at both representative levels) as well as Civoniceva's front-row partner, Steve Price, in Origins and Tests. Bench players Karmichael Hunt (club) and Craig Fitzgibbon (country) have both spent time under Bennett. Jones believes the Bennett-Kearney partnership is one key reason history can repeat.

"Stephen Kearney knows a lot of the Melbourne players in the team and obviously Wayne Bennett knows a lot of the Australian players, their little secrets," Jones said. "I'm sure they'll come up with some sort of plan. It's definitely an advantage. Those things help give the players confidence in what they're going to do."

Jones, one of the key Kiwis in the 24-0 defeat, said there were similarities between the 2005 squad and the current players.

"In the Tri-Nations, the longer the camp went on the tighter we got as a group," Jones said. "I think this Kiwi team's the same. I had a bit to do with them at the start of the camp, and they're very tight - the longer they're together the tighter they become.

"The other thing the Kiwis have is that the Australian team has been absolutely on fire. Maybe they might be due to play not quite as well. Maybe they'll be off their game just a little bit."

That the Kiwi coaching staff have had such an influence on so many of the Australian stars was not lost on Smith, who said yesterday: "Both coaches have had a hand in nearly all the players in our team's careers so far - they've either coached them or been a part of their development. I guess there'll be no surprises."

Of course, Stuart is still yet to finalise his line-up, and Tate is still only rated a "50-50" chance of playing, according to team doctor Hugh Hazzard.

"He'll need to do a little bit but it'll be up to the coach," Hazzard said. "He'll have to do a little bit [today] because it's a short week. We've got a game on Saturday."

Lock Paul Gallen also picked up a corked thigh in the semi-final against Fiji last Sunday. Hazzard, however, said he was not in any doubt "at this stage".

The Kiwis' growing confidence clearly has the Australians a little worried. While the Kangaroos defeated the Kiwis 30-6 on the second night of the tournament, both Smith and Folau said they expected the New Zealanders to be far tougher in their final fling.

"I think the Kiwis are going to be a lot better side," Folau said. "We know that. They've played against England twice. We saw both of those games and they played pretty good … we're going to get a lot thrown at us this week."

Smith said: "They're a lot stronger side. They've improved as the tournament's gone along. You can't really pinpoint one area - they're very strong in the forwards, as traditionally the Kiwis are, and they've got some outstanding backs.

"We're going to have to aim up all over the park."