League: Australia wary of ‘wounded’ Great Britain

MANCHESTER - Australia coach Wayne Bennett has warned his players Great Britain will be a different team to the one beaten by New Zealand in the Tri-Nations last week.

The Kangaroos will confront a full house at Wigan's JBB Stadium tomorrow and Bennett was wary of the opposition after their stinging loss to the Kiwis.

Bennett and the Australians were fully aware of the desperation in the Lions' camp after the Kangaroos lost their opening Tri-Nations encounter in Sydney a month ago before narrowly reversing the result a week later in Auckland.

While he showed little interest in the positional changes made by opposing coach Brian Noble for the clash, Bennett said pundits were too quick to dismiss Great Britain after one loss to a Kiwis side playing exceptional football.

"We were in exactly the same situation in New Zealand," said Bennett.

"They won't be the same team as last week and I hope somebody is listening to me. They're going to be desperate and they're going to be putting it all on the line.

"They've got two games to play and they want to put some points on the board and they'll want this game to be the benchmark."

British bookmakers have almost trebled Great Britain's odds of winning the title following their disappointing 42-26 loss to the Kiwis at Loftus Rd in London last weekend.

The Lions were 6-1 but punters brave enough can secure odds of 16-1 with some bookies who can't find enough excuses to keep them in the contest alongside odds-on favourites Australia and the rapidly shortening Kiwis, who are into 5-2.

Noble has reinstated former rugby stand-off Iestyn Harris five-eighth, shifting Kevin Sinfield to lock and moving skipper Jamie Peacock into the back-row. Those changes will allow destroyer Adrian Morley to start the clash and add some aggression to the pack.

Skipper Darren Lockyer was confident his combination with Scott Prince would click, despite Great Britain's efforts to put him off his game in his test debut.

"He's easy to get along with, even on the field he'll play his own game and at the same time play the game the team needs him to play," Lockyer said. "That's one of his great assets."

- AAP