AS THE Australian and New Zealand players lined up alongside each other at the SCG for a group photo before Friday night's Centenary Test, only the rival coaches and captains Roy Asotasi and Cameron Smith separated Sonny Bill Williams from Willie Mason.

Yet the former Bulldogs teammates didn't say a word to each other. "We're just concentrating on next weekend," Williams told reporters afterwards.

Undoubtedly, the most in-demand players at the hour-long photo and interview session, Williams fronted an all-in media scrum while Mason was one of a number of Kangaroos players declared off limits yesterday.

Rooming with Carl Webb, the Queensland enforcer who has offered to get in the boxing ring with him if he is serious about an off-season fight, Mason is holding his tongue until the launch tomorrow of a new book about the centenary of Australian league.

Williams, however, was happy to talk and the Kiwis superstar suggested his side would use "brains" and "backbone" to try to ensure there is no repeat of last October's record 58-0 thrashing in Wellington.

"We know it is going to be a tough physical game out there on Friday night but I would like to think our boys will have more brains than that," Williams said in response to predictions from the Kangaroos camp of a "war".

And while New Zealand usually have little trouble competing in the forwards, Williams said the "spine" of fullback Brent Webb, five-eighth Ben Roberts, halfback Thomas Leuluai and hooker Issac Luke gave the Kiwis more options in attack than in the past.

"Issac Luke is a good, tough little player and that's what we need, he's very fit and very agile and him, Benny Roberts, Thomas Leuluai and Brent Webb have just got that spark," Williams said.

"Benny is untapped potential, he's got all the assets and I think he just lacks a bit of experience so he's only going to benefit from the more game time he gets and he will definitely learn a lot from this week."