Brian Carney named GB Vice-Captain

BigDragon

Peacock named as new GB skipper

Carney (l) and Peacock (r) are a proven partnership
Bradford's Jamie Peacock has been unveiled as the new captain of the Great Britain rugby league team.
The forward, who will join Leeds at the end of this season, will skipper the Lions in the autumn's Tri-Nations against New Zealand and Australia.

Wigan's Cork-born winger Brian Carney has been appointed as vice-captain.

Peacock said: "I am going to try to lead by example and play with passion. I am going to do the best I can and nobody can ask more than that."

Former Lions vice-captain Peacock takes over from St Helens' Paul Sculthorpe, who is out of the series with a long-term knee injury.

GB coach Brian Noble said that it had not taken him long to decide to make Peacock captain.

Noble said: "He's a terrific leader. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

"Out on the field he's an intelligent man as well. He understands tactics, he understands the game.

"He's had a tough season as captain of Bradford with the ups and downs at the club, but I never really flinched one moment in promoting Jamie."

Peacock has won every trophy in the British game during his time with the Bulls, with successes in the Challenge Cup, Super League Grand Final and World Club Challenge.

He also took the Man of Steel prize in 2003, the year Bradford achieved a remarkable clean sweep of all the trophies.

Peacock said: "I am proud at the moment but it'll be when we are playing, when we go out to play at Loftus Road in the first game against New Zealand - that will be my proudest moment.

"Being Great Britain captain has never been something that's been on my mind, but now I've got it I'm over the moon about it."

Sculthorpe was the third withdrawal from Noble's initial 40-strong Great Britain squad.

Wigan full-back Kris Radlinski, who was absent for last year's Tri-Nations Series, has been ruled out for the rest of the season in order to have knee surgery.

And Hull prop Paul King has told Noble he needs to have a wrist operation at the end of his club's Super League campaign.

im pretty surprised carneys got that because he's been pretty crap all year for wigan! the aussies fear him though