The Kiwis are insisting they aren't the favourites ahead of this year's end-of-season tournament, despite being the current World Cup and Four Nations rugby league champions.
The New Zealand side has also shirked the favouritism tag for Sunday's one-off Test match with Australia in Newcastle.
Kangaroos halfback Johnathan Thurston says they're the team to beat and went as far as to say it would be disrespectful for anyone in the Kangaroos camp to think of Australia as rugby league's top dog.
But the New Zealand second-rower Alex Glenn says while they're the champs, he sees both teams as equal.
Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney was quick to remind his troops of their most recent tour of England in 2009, having been crowned World Cup champions the previous year.
It ended in disaster, with Benji Marshall's men failing to even qualify for the final thanks to a loss to England.