KEY POINTS:
New Zealand 34 Great Britain 4
There was a little irony that a fresh gash on Stacey Jones' nose was inflicted by a team-mate during the Kiwis' rousing record demolition job on Great Britain.
Fullback Brent Webb did the damage, opening up the cut when colliding with
the peerless Kiwis playmaker who proved untouchable for a listless Lions' opposition thumped at Westpac Stadium.
Jones had a hand - or boot - in four of the Kiwis six tries, tormenting Great Britain with a full array of skills as New Zealand's troubled Tri-Nations title defence cleared the first of two obstacles with unexpected ease.
By racking up their biggest winning margin during a 99-year rivalry with the Lions - eclipsing the 26-4 rout in Christchurch in 1999 - the Kiwis compensated for the two competition points they lost through the Nathan Fien "grannygate" saga by beating the Lions a second time.
While the Kiwis' 18-14 win in Christchurch on October 28 was ultimately voided by Australian Fien's selection, this latest result could yet have a permanent effect on a demoralised Great Britain who now need to beat - or at least draw with - the Kangaroos in Brisbane on Saturday night to make the November 25 final.
Clearly wearied by playing a third weekend in a row, a lethargic Great Britain bore little resemblance to the side which shocked the world champions 23-12 in Sydney last weekend.
Their mental state was also hardly enhanced by two disallowed tries - notably a questionable decision by Australian video referee Graham West to deny a Gareth Raynor effort when the score was 16-4.
The wing appeared to legitimately force a Paul Wellens grubber inside the chalk but West ruled Raynor had momentarily lost control of the ball, mystifying the Lions camp.
Wellens was the culprit in the 66th minute, penalised for slightly impeding David Kidwell as Leon Pryce waltzed past two other defenders en route to the line.
"I don't think we've had a decent call the whole trip," Lions coach Brian Noble lamented.
"I thought Raynor's try was fair - 16-10 would have been a lot better than 16-4. We're not getting a few of those 50-50 calls, are we?"
But Noble was quick to acknowledge the Kiwis were dominant in all facets. "We couldn't establish any field position, we didn't do the simple things we did against Australia.
"We were getting two or three good plays per set, the Kiwis were getting six plays - and found a kick at the end. It was the Kiwis' night, everything seemed to bounce their way."
The accuracy of Noble's assessment was evident 10 minutes from time when a perfect Jones chip kick bounced off the crossbar into Wiki's grateful hands to complete the rout.
Jones and Wiki also combined for the first of Webb's double - while both teams were a man down after Steve Matai and Keith Senior were sinbinned for a minor skirmish.
The classy halfback then laid on Webb's second with a pinpoint pass to put the Kiwis clear at 16-4; after the break another crafty chip kick created havoc in the Lions in-goal, enabling Nathan Cayless to score a rare test try in his 31st outing and put the outcome beyond doubt at 22-4 with 30 minutes remaining.
Manu Vatuvei then atoned for his butter-fingered role in the Lions' solitary score by Gareth Ellis by rounding behind the posts before Wiki's popular score ensured the Kiwis at least won back some much-needed credibility before a disappointing crowd of 16,401.
"We've lost a bit of credibility the last couple of weeks, the team and New Zealand rugby league, so to come out and perform like that - we've gone a long way to winning it back," said Webb.
Jones, who typically downplayed his match-winning role, agreed the team had been desperate to atone for the Fien fiasco the only way they could - on the park.
"This was important for ourselves and the game in general ... for the fans of rugby league, the game really needed a boost.
"Now we'll just have to sit back and see what happens. Hopefully the Aussies can do us a favour."
Kiwis coach Brian McClennan understandably made a beeline for his inspiring leaders, Jones and Wiki, as they lapped up the applause circling the ground but credited the collective effort.
"Our family has been under a bit of adversity but like any family, when you strike some adversity it pulls you together tighter. We feel like we've earned the right to play in a grand final. We just hope it works out that we get our chance."
Noble countered that his side at least had their destiny in their own hands. "Sometimes it's not the falling over, it's how you get up. People will write us off but they'll be silly to."
- NZPA
