League: Lions believe Australia rattled

Great Britain believe they have Australia psyched out after pulling off an unexpectedly big win over New Zealand to drag themselves back into the Tri-Nations rugby league series.

Their match against the world champions at Hull on Sunday (NZ time) will decide the teams to meet in the final at Elland Rd in Leeds on November 27.

Great Britain camp insiders say the hosts believe their 38-12 victory over the Kiwis yesterday, after being written off when they lost 6-20 to Australia the previous week, will have rattled the world champions.

Australia would have been expecting a week in which they had another game to tune up for the final, but Great Britain's win has suddenly made this match almost sudden death.

An Australian victory would pull the Kiwis into the final while the Lions would have to beat the Kangaroos by more than two points to knock the Kiwis out of the decider.

However, should Great Britain win by seven points or more, which after their big victory over New Zealand is not out of the question, percentages will be used to determine whether they meet Australia or New Zealand in the final.

The Lions believe the Kangaroos will be worried on a number of fronts following their win over the Kiwis.

Great Britain believe the 20-6 scoreline in the first game against Australia was misleading and that with a little more luck they could have won the game.

Australia were clinging to an 8-6 lead when Australian referee Tim Mander penalised Great Britain for raking the ball in a tackle, a penalty Lions coach Brian Noble hotly disputed after the game.

Australia scored two converted tries in the last five minutes to blow the score out.

They have since lost skipper Darren Lockyer to a foot injury, forcing them to come up with a new halves pairing out of Scott Prince, Craig Gower and Trent Barrett.

Barrett still has to prove his fitness from a troublesome foot injury.

Gower and Prince teamed up well in Australia's 44-14 test win over France yesterday.

Barrett faces further fitness tests before being cleared to play this weekend but he is very confident of getting back on the field after visiting a Paris orthopedic specialist, who outfitted him with special inserts in his boots to make running less painful.

"I'll be fine to play," said Barrett, who needs to get on the field this weekend to stake a claim for the final.

Reserve prop Jason Ryles, also dismissed any concerns over a hand injury suffered against the French despite having it bandaged on the team's return to Manchester from France.

Hooker Danny Buderus, who has taken over the tour captaincy from Lockyer, said Great Britain's big win had certainly changed the Tri-Nations picture.

"We'll have to step things up because this game now is sudden death," Buderus said.

"The week won't be quite so relaxed."

- AAP