Alex Glenn relishing return to KC Stadium for New Zealand's clash with England

The 27-year-old was thrilled with his first trip to Hull in 2011, when he was in the Kiwis team that lost 28-6 in front of a packed house of 23,447 as England clinched a place in the Four Nations Series final against Australia.

Glenn was also in the New Zealand team that reached the 2013 World Cup final at Old Trafford and helped Brisbane pip Wigan in extra time in this year's World Club Challenge in front of a bumper crowd at the DW Stadium, but it is that Test at the KC Stadium that left the biggest mark.

"It's four years now," he recalled. "Back then, it was my first tour and everything was so exciting. I just remember the atmosphere as soon as we ran onto the field.

"It's something I'll never forget. That's why I love coming over here to play. The crowds get so involved and it's something I wish we had back in Australia. They just give that energy and it makes the game a whole lot more exciting.

"The crowd will definitely get behind their team, wanting to ride the Pommies home, but it's a challenge for us. We love a challenge."

The Kiwis warmed up for their three-match series with a 34-16 win over Leeds a week ago before flying to Perpignan to finalise their preparations.

"It was a lot warmer, for sure," Glenn said. "We definitely had a great camp over there. We got to Barcelona and had some down time and we got to train at Catalans Dragons.

"We couldn't have asked for better preparations."

Glenn says he expects his Broncos team-mate Adam Blair, the tourists' co-captain and another of the survivors from 2011, to recover from the calf injury he sustained in the win at Headingley.

"He had hit first run (on Thursday) and he went really well," Glenn said. "So far it looks like he'll be playing, but he's got to do a few more tests and then he'll have another run on Saturday at the captain's run. Thus far he's looked real well and confident."

Glenn says the tourists were taken aback by news of Sam Tomkins' withdrawal from the England squad after failing to recover from a knee injury sustained in the final year of his NRL spell with New Zealand Warriors.

"We never saw it coming," Glenn said. " A lot of us knew he was carrying an injury but to be ruled out of the whole campaign is a big loss.

"It was a big shock for all us players but, in saying that, we know who they're going to replace Sam Tomkins with and he (Zak Hardaker) has done a good job, and 100 per cent we're not going to take him very lightly."