England players have admitted they were frustrated by the wrestling tactics employed by their NRL opponents in the Australia and New Zealand teams and had called in a specialist to help them overcome the ploy.

Unlike the NRL, where wrestling has become an epidemic, most clubs in Super League do not employ wrestling coaches - but the Lions believe they were at a disadvantage during the World Cup as their rivals had been able to slow the speed of the play-the-ball.

"It's pretty tough. They're really, really good at it," England winger Ade Gardner said. "It's just little subtle things. It's just that extra second in Super League you'd be up on your feet. But we've worked with a wrestling coach last week, who is used to that kind of stuff. So we've gotten a bit better at getting off the floor."

Concerns that their rivals were dominating the ruck have prompted England coach Tony Smith to call for a northern hemisphere referee to be given charge of Saturday night's semi-final against the Kiwis, but he conceded yesterday that was unlikely to happen.

England fullback Paul Wellens is in doubt for the match with a hamstring injury and could be replaced by Leon Pryce, with Danny McGuire to start at five-eighth and Smith to use two hookers in James Roby and Micky Higham for the first time in the tournament.

The Kiwis are also likely to field a reshuffled line-up, with second-rower Simon Mannering yesterday training in place of injured centre Steve Matai at Brisbane's Langlands Park.

Matai is a near certainty to miss the semi-final and Mannering's superior defensive qualities appear to have given him the nod ahead of more attacking options Krisnan Inu and Setaimata Sa.