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Peacock backs Morley to excel

27/10/2007

Great Britain captain Jamie Peacock has backed controversial prop Adrian Morley to have a big impact during the Test series with New Zealand.

Peacock is resuming his role as captain having missed some international matches this season through injury and is looking forward to joining forces with the former Sydney Rooster.

"I expect him to have a massive series," said Peacock. "He always plays well for Great Britain. He did a great job as captain and led the only way he knows, from the front."

Morley and Peacock should form a formidable pairing in Great Britain's tight-five and the Leeds man has nothing but admiration for his colleague.

He said: "He hits a bit harder than me but we play the game a similar way."

Morley was once sent-off in the first 12 seconds of a Test match and he was in trouble for a high tackle during last week's centenary Test against the New Zealand All Golds.

The Kiwis are upset that Morley was not sanctioned at a disciplinary hearing but Great Britain coach Tony Smith says it was a minor incident in the game.

He said: "It's a matter of getting on with it. He's been around for a while and he's not going to worry too much about that."

Smith admitted it was a part of Morley's game they had been looking to adapt but that the coaching staff did not want to diminish his enthusiastic tackling at the same time.

"We've had a look at some of his tackle technique and we're helping him with some of those issues. It was more a reflex action than anything malicious. I'm sure he'll rectify that in this game," said Smith.