League: Morley fails to break his record

Great Britain enforcer Adrian Morley desperately wants to leave league Downunder on his own terms but he's once again left his fate in the hands of others.

The first act of league's most likeable rogue - unless you happen to be on the end of his aggression - in a competitive game since his inexplicable kneeing of Bulldog Corey Hughes was a fearsome high shot on Ruben Wiki. If that action took the cake, he provided the icing with a forearm jolt on a prone Brent Webb in the second half.

The match was only a minute old when he clocked Wiki; a tardy effort considering the Salford-born prop was sent off after just 12 seconds for a high tackle on Robbie Kearns in the opening test of the 2003 Ashes series.

Some of the Kiwis took umbrage at the Wiki hit including, not surprisingly, self-appointed hardman David Kidwell, though the Kiwis captain looked remarkably relaxed about the whole thing.

Morley got the dreaded crossed arm signal that puts him on report. He would have seen it before. He was suspended 11 times in six years with the Roosters - the last and most infamous, the Hughes incident.

Great Britain needs Adrian Morley. They need his experience, his muscle and his knowledge of his opponents. He was at times impressive last night, at others underwhelming.

But Morley, too, needs this series.

"It was a huge disappointment, the way I finished my NRL and Roosters career," the 29-year-old said ahead of the Tri-Nations.

"That's what's been keeping me going the last couple of months, the fact that I can play in this series and play a few more games in Australia and New Zealand and finish on my terms rather than being sent off and suspended."

A suspension might be justice in terms of the laws, but in every other way it will be an injustice for this blood-and-guts, but very fine, player.