After a devastating two-point loss to Australia in the tournament opener, which also cost the Kiwis their fullback after Kalyn Ponga suffered a broken arm, New Zealand bounced back in style on Sunday with a monster result on home soil.
Hometown hero Tanner Stowers-Smith scored a double on debut in front of the sold-out Christchurch crowd, in the only game to be staged across the Tasman for the tournament.
Another Christchurch local Jamayne Isaako - the NRL's top point scorer of 2026 - shone with a hat-trick and kicked 13 of 14 conversions for a personal haul of 30 points. Casey McLean and Ronaldo Mulitalo both crossed for doubles.
After scoring the first two tries, New Zealand survived a first-half flurry from the Kukis with winger Esom Ioka scoring three times.
But it ultimately wasn't enough to compete with the hosts' attacking quality across the park.
"We got punched in the face," Kiwi coach Stacey Jones said of Ioka's quickfire hat-trick.
"We got off to a really good start, so we scored two quick tries, and sometimes subconsciously it can put you in a false sense of how the game's going to go."
"We just had to reset ourselves, and I thought the last 15 minutes of the first half, and then the start of the second half, we found our groove and what our game looks like."
Ioka plies his trade as a Queensland Cup player for the Brisbane Tigers, but coach Karmichael Hunt hopes the tournament can unlock NRL opportunities for some of those talented Cook Islands youngsters.
"Some of the stories from my team, they've got to get a lot of belief in their own ability and who knows what the future holds for some of them?" the dual-code Australian international representative said.
"To go against a class side like that, from a little nation like us, it was a good opportunity. Especially for the young boys that are off contract trying to set up their lives, so hopefully that's a good opportunity for them," captain KL Iro said.
The game started with a bang, taking just two minutes for Isaako to cross for a try and then slotting the conversion.
Ioka dropped the ball over try line for a would-be Cook Islands try and New Zealand returned serve at the other end, sending Mulitalo over.
Winger Ioka scored two runaway intercepts and outleapt Mulitalo in the corner for a 16-12 lead.
The visitors' joy didn't last as New Zealand restored their the advantage with another converted Isaako try.
Scott Sorensen and McLean both went through untouched and Stowers-Smith delighted the Christchurch crowd with the first of his two tries.
Keano Kini extended the lead just three minutes after halftime, while Stowers-Smith crashed over under the posts in the 49th minute.
Moments later Kodi Nikorima added another, before the game was rounded out with tries to McLean, Mulitalo, Isaako, Te Maire Martin and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who scored against the nation he represented on three occasions.
Both sides will wrap up pool play on Saturday with New Zealand facing Fiji on the Gold Coast and the Cook Islands taking on Australia in Townsville.
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