Thursday night's World Cup opener in Sydney could decide first place in Group A, which also includes Fiji and Cook Islands.
The group winner will face a runner-up from the combined Groups B and C in a semi-final, while Group A's runner-up will meet the winner from those groups.
Jahrome Hughes returns to the Kiwis for the tournament after three years away, as part of what is arguably New Zealand's strongest squad ever assembled.
The 32-year-old Melbourne Storm halfback has played 10 Tests, but injuries ruled him out of end-of-season tournaments in 2024 and 2025.
His most recent international appearance was the 2023 Pacific Championships final, when New Zealand beat Australia 30-0 in Hamilton.
Hughes was 14 when New Zealand won its only Rugby League World Cup in 2008, having recently moved from Wellington to the Gold Coast.
"I've had a couple of years away and it just makes you realise you can't take this (Kiwis) jersey for granted," he said.
The 2022 World Cup semi-final remains a painful memory for Hughes, who was New Zealand's halfback in its 16-14 loss to Australia after leading at halftime.
"Getting so close in 2022 and losing to Australia in the semi-final, I take a lot of blame for losing that game," Hughes said.
"It's fuelling that fire, making sure that doesn't happen again... I feel like it's worked for me already with my preparation and my mindset going into this tournament."