KEY POINTS:
More misery awaits the Kiwis at Wigan tomorrow as they take a vastly inexperienced side into the third test against a strong, well-balanced and now confident Great Britain team.
There is little doubt about the result - the question is whether or not the New Zealand 17 will turn up to play and apply some determination.
While the Kiwis have an average age of 22 and only have Roy Asotasi in a leadership role, the British side has an average age of 25 and Lions captain Jamie Peacock has back-up from Leeds skipper Kevin Sinfield, Wigan skipper Sean O'Loughlin and 12-year test veterans Adrian Morley and Keith Senior.
Asotasi has been outstanding as a player in the three losses, to Australia in Wellington then the Lions in Huddersfield and Hull but must be doing it hard now because of the nature of the first and third of those losses and the youth around him. He needs back-up but there is no one.
Likewise finding the way back from a 44-0 thrashing is new territory for coach Gary Kemble and the continual questioning of his ability to handle the job will not be helping.
While providing weak support for Kemble this week, Asotasi said the new coach had had little time to find his feet.
There is no time left now.
Despite the long list of injured and unavailable players, a fourth consecutive loss would rob Kemble and his Kiwis of every last shred of momentum heading into next year's World Cup. He would have to go and that seems inevitable given the requirement by the NZRL that he win three-quarters of the time.
Invalided out of this series are key players Benji Marshall - the Kiwis seriously lacking in the halves - and Sonny Bill Williams, both players who might break a game open. Also out are centres Steve Matai, Jerome Ropati and Iosaia Soliola, the propping Cayless brothers Jason and Nathan, fullback Brent Webb, wings Krisnan Inu, Luke Covell and Manu Vatuvei.
Secondrower David Kidwell is sorely missed after he left to be with his terminally ill mother.
The injuries to Inu and Covell in the Australia game left the touring party without a goal-kicker. In each of the four games, injury has taken players from the field and shortened their interchange.
Tomorrow, they face a side that has way more class in the key positions - one (fullback), six (stand-off), seven (halfback) and nine (hooker). The Lions' hookers have made a meal of their dummy-half running through the series and can be expected to eat up huge ground again tomorrow. Their service from the ruck has been far smarter and quicker than the Kiwis, who are using fill-ins at nine.
At halfback, Rob Burrow has been superb for the Lions while Thomas Leuluai has struggled for the Kiwis. In his one shot against Australia, Jeremy Smith did nothing to prove he is the next Stacey Jones.
At five-eighth, Ben Roberts brings a good long kick but nothing more than a solid game and Lance Hohaia has been rusty and looked out of his depth. By comparison, Burrow and Leon Pryce have steered their side with guise and guile.
Sam Perrett at fullback has been the one find for the Kiwis, playing with enthusiasm, looking for work with dummy-half running, generally safe at the back bar the one howler at Huddersfield. But he is no Paul Wellens. The Lions number one is continually probing in their attacking line. He has not missed a tackle.
It appears only Great Britain can beat Great Britain there tomorrow.
