The Kiwis have had notable recent successes against the Kangaroos, beating them in the finals of both the 2008 World Cup and 2010 Four Nations.
But they haven't won the mid-year trans-Tasman encounter since their 22-16 victory at North Harbour Stadium in 1998, the last time the match was staged in New Zealand.
They get another chance to try to end that sequence in Auckland on Friday night.
Fien, who was part of both the World Cup and Four Nations successes, is at a loss to explain the barren run.
"Obviously the fact that the game has been played over in Australia might have something to do with it, but really, there's no excuses," he said.
"At the end of the day, the footy field is the same length, the same width. We just haven't got the job done."
Fien said the Kiwis had to avoid being distracted by outside issues, like Palmerston North-born prop James Tamou's decision to throw his lot in with Australia.
It was a case of making sure they executed the game plan on the night.
Lock Jeremy Smith, also a World Cup and Four Nations winner, has a pretty simple answer to the key to victory at Eden Park - "just holding the ball".
"The longer we hold the ball the more, they have to tackle us, the harder it is for them," he said.
"The one-off tests are hard, but there's no excuses there."
