http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,11349716-23214,00.html
Senior set for overhaul
November 11, 2004
GIANT British Test centre Keith Senior yesterday vowed to lift his game against Australia at Wigan's JJB Stadium on Sunday morning.
The pledge came as both teams stepped up the psychological warfare leading up to the expected "dream" Tri-Nations final on November 27.
Senior, who was named in official World 13s in 2002-03, has made little impression on the Tri-Nations tournament and was cancelled out of the game by Australian centre Shaun Berrigan the last time the teams met in Manchester a fortnight ago.
Last Saturday against New Zealand 100kg Senior carried the ball only eight times compared with his Test average of 18 and Britain need him to be more involved if they are to beat Australia at Wigan and clinch a place in the final at Leeds.
"I'm not making breaks and some people say it's because I'm not getting quality ball," he said. "But I have to go looking for work even if it means doing more dummy-half running.
"Berrigan gets in your face in defence but he's not just there as a spoiler. He's played halfback and he's dangerous in attack as well.
"He's a tough opponent."
Kangaroos coach Wayne Bennett said everyone in Britain was desperate for an Australia-Britain final with New Zealand only able to spoil the party if the Aussies win on Sunday then then the Kiwis beat the hosts the following week in Hull.
"Obviously from the point of view of the code over here it's in everyone's best interests for Britain to be in the final but it doesn't always work out that way," Bennett said. "I don't have a preference but common sense would tell me that.
"Britain say they've only scratched the surface of what they're capable of but we're not playing anywhere near what we're capable of either. So it'll be exciting if we both get it right. We won on the bell in Manchester and I expect it to be close again."
Australian skipper Danny Buderus said pride in the jumper was motivation enough for the match even though the Kangaroos are assured of a final berth.
"If they [Britain] say they've got a few gears we've got a few gears as well that we can go up in," Buderus said.
"A Test against Britain is a childhood dream. Every chance you get you've got to make the most of it."
Five-eighth Scott Hill aims to make the most of his chance after he withdrew on match day in Manchester because of a virus which kept him in bed for almost a week.
"It takes a lot to let a Test jumper go so obviously the virus I had was pretty bad," Hill said.
"The fact I'm alongside Noddy [halfback Brett Kimmorley] is a bonus. We had a few years at Melbourne together and a season at the Hunter Mariners so we know each other's game pretty well."
The first time they played together was in the Hunter Region under-10s while at Test level they last combined in the 64-10 win over Britain in Sydney in 2002.
"It would be nice to get that sort of score again but it's not going to happen," Hill said.
Australian second-rower Craig Fitzgibbon could face a fitness test on his suspect shoulder tomorrow but the Roosters star said he was "pretty confident" it would be right after it ruled him out of the Manchester Test.
If Fitzgibbon is out Andrew Ryan is likely to start.
