Wing and a prayer for Aussies

Australian utility player Craig Wing is battling to overcome a sternum injury but has been named in coach Wayne Bennett?s squad for Saturday?s Gillette Tri-Nations Series final against New Zealand at Elland Road.

Bennett has named the same 19 players he nominated before the Kangaroos? 26-14 win over Great Britain at Hull last week, with prop Steve Pryce and scrum-half Scott Prince back in contention after sitting out the final pool match.

If Wing, who was called into the squad a fortnight ago to replace injured stand-off Darren Lockyer, fails to recover from the sternum injury he sustained in Australia?s 44-12 win over France in Perpignan, Prince will win his second cap.

Scrum-half Craig Gower, who played despite damaging a thigh muscle in the warm-up last Saturday, is expected to be fit.

Britain?s referee Steve Ganson, who was in charge of the first two Gillette Tri-Nations matches between Australia and New Zealand, will referee the final.

Australia?s 19-man squad: A Minichiello (Sydney Roosters); M King (Melbourne), M Gasnier (St George Illawarra), M Cooper (St George Illawarra), B Tate (Brisbane); T Barrett (St George Illawarra), C Gower (Penrith); P Civoniceva (Brisbane), D Buderus (Newcastle, capt), J Ryles (St George Illawarra), L O?Donnell (North Queensland), C Fitzgibbon (Sydney Roosters), B Kennedy (Manly), S Prince (Wests Tigers), C Wing (Sydney Roosters), T Waterhouse (Penrith), M O?Meley (Canterbury), W Mason (Canterbury), S Pryce (NZ Warriors).

Match officials: Referee - Steve Ganson (GB) Touch Judge - Jason Robinson (Aus) Touch Judge - Craig Pascoe (NZ) Video Referee - David Campbell (GB) Res Referee - Ashley Klein (GB) Interchange - Clint Sharrad (GB) Interchange - Paul Johnson (GB) Match Commissioner - Geoff Berry (RFL)

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Thanks to www.superleague.co.uk for this news.

More info: www.tri-nations.com.au Discussion: Tri-Nations Forum at http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/forumdisplay.php?f=130