GIANTS duo Ben Roarty and Chris Nero answered a late SOS call to play for the ANZACS against the Cumbrians at Workington last night.
Second-rower Roarty was told on Tuesday night that his services would not be required by the combined Australia-New Zealand side, while Nero had not been in the frame at all.
But a telephone call from ANZACS officials at 10am yesterday changed all that.
Two members of the squad had been forced to pull out at the last minute and they wanted the Huddersfield pair.
So while the rest of the squad were preparing for the game at their Cumbrian hotel, Roarty and Nero set off yesterday lunchtime, less than eight hours before kick-off!
Both men had to settle for places on the bench, getting only brief run-outs, as their side triumphed 64-12.
But the night belonged to Brett Kimmorley, the scourge of Great Britain in last year's Ashes Series, as he hammered out another reminder of his qualities.
The scrum-half, man of the series for Australia last November, was unable to force his way into the side for the Kangaroos' first two matches in the Gillette Tri-Nations Series.
But he dropped a timely hint to watching head coach Wayne Bennett, among a mesmerised 4,203 crowd at Workington, as he produced a superb play-making display to claim the man-of-the-match award.
The 28-year-old Cronulla half-back also kicked nine goals from 10 attempts to prove that he could be the answer to the Australian's goalkicking problems against Great Britain on Saturday in the absence of Craig Fitzgibbon and Darren Lockyer.
Uncapped prop Mark O'Meley, who is another in contention to play against the Lions at the City of Manchester Stadium this weekend, scored a hat-trick of tries.
Bradford's Kiwi centre Shontayne Hape scored two tries for the ANZACS to stake his claim for a late call to the New Zealand squad.
And Dean Halatau, Matt Cooper, Scott Hill, Henry Fa'afili and Matt Bowen were also tryscorers.
On the mark for the hosts were former Giants forward Oliver Wilkes and winger Craig Calvert.
