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TIM Sheens will join Frank Stanton as the third longest-serving Australian coach of all time tomorrow night, racking up his 26th Test match in charge of the national team.
Only Bob Fulton and Clive Churchill have been in charge of the Kangaroos on more occasions.
As always, Sheens will be expected to be successful, which he has been — barring the one blemish in the 2010 World Cup final.
Despite his 23 wins and one draw, it was obvious that defeat stayed with the experienced coach more than any of his victorious internationals. The degree of disappointment indicated how the loss stuck in his craw and was irritating, unfinished business.
That was dealt with at the end of last season with the Australians routing a strong New Zealand outfit by 32 points in the World Cup finale.
Again this was expected.
Which leaves me with the conclusion that coach of the Australian team is not only one of the most prestigious positions in our game but arguably the most unappreciated.
The kind of job that must feel like a no-win situation in that Aussie fans expect success and don't entertain anything but.
So much so that there is a belief among many that because of the incredible amount of talent that is invariably in the side, anyone could coach them.
That degree of ability is precisely the reason that it is a difficult undertaking.
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When you bring our elite together you are combining players who are dominant, knowledgeable and leaders at their respective clubs and with that comes a healthy degree of self confidence and ego. That is not a bad thing, but not necessarily an easy thing to comfortably combine, especially when they are used to getting the ball whenever they want it.
We've all heard the analogy of a team of champions and a champion team. The task of the Australian coach is to make sure that the former becomes the latter.
Don't forget that this is to be done with a minimum amount of preparation time and is one of the reasons that incumbency is deemed to be so important.
With so little time together the aim is to provide a simple structure of play but one that allows this gifted bunch to express themselves.
Tim Sheens has obviously been doing something right because a win tomorrow evening will see the Kangaroos equal the record of 16 consecutive Test victories established between 1979 and 1983.
They head into the game at Black Caviar-type odds and like the champion mare will be expected to win in a canter.
The opposition is a very different looking outfit to what it would have been if injury had not conspired against the Kiwis. Still it is hard to fathom the overlooking of experienced and tough campaigners such as Jared Waerea Hargreaves, Shaun Kenny Dowall, Frank Paul Nuuausala and Alex Glenn.
They may not have been standouts in the opening eight weeks of the NRL but I wouldn't describe them as being out of form.
With so many rookies involved and Shaun Johnson the most capped player (8 games) in their "spine" I would have thought it even more important to have some tough nuts alongside who have been there before and understand the pressure of Test football.
Still the proof will be in the pudding and both camps will be well aware of the glorious uncertainty when it comes to sport.
Champion galloper Ajax was beaten when 40/1 on, Buster Douglas was able to knock out Mike Tyson and Australia ll was given next to no chance of capturing the America's Cup.
Despite these upsets I'm not expecting New Zealand to do a Steven Bradbury.
STERLO: All the latest from both Test camps, including a cross to Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens. Plus, Raiders star Anthony Milford drops by to chat with Sterlo and guest panel members Steve Menzies and Scott Prince. Tonight, 7.30, Fox Sports 1.
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