NEW York City Knights signing Dave Buckley reckons his native Australia are nailed-on favourites to retain the Tri-Nations trophy at Elland Road tonight.

The Kangaroos - who have benefited from a unique training session at the RAF's Linton-on-Ouse base outside York in the build-up to tonight's final - knocked out Great Britain last Saturday and now take on New Zealand.

And in an exclusive interview - more of which is inside tonight's Evening Press - Buckley says they should have too much power and pace for the Kiwis.

"I reckon we should win by about 12 points - as long as Vagana doesn't take someone's head off," he said.

Half-back Nigel Vagana will be back in the New Zealand side after missing last week's win over France due to his controversial one-match ban for a high tackle on Britain's Paul Deacon a fortnight ago, which left Deacon with multiple facial injuries.

As for the Lions, Buckley was disappointed with their failure to press the Aussies.

"We were expecting a bit more from Great Britain from what the media have made them out to be, especially with Andrew Johns - who is a freak over here - not playing for us," he said.

Aussie skipper Darren Lockyer is also ruled out tonight, though that did not stop him enjoying the special visit to Linton-on-Ouse. The Kangaroos had a good look round the RAF base and Lockyer got the chance to fly in the Tucano Flight Simulator.

Craig Gower went one better as he flew in a Tucano - the half-back being one of the few Kangaroos to be within the aircraft's weight limit. Ironically, his pilot, Sqn Ldr Paul Stockley, was a Kiwi.

"I promised I'd be gentle," said Stockley. "However, I must say it was tempting to try to give our guys a little helping hand for tonight - I think they might need it."

Former York legend Jeff Stevenson, the last GB captain to lift the Ashes on home soil back in 1959 was also there to meet the old foe (as reported previously by the Press), as was Aussie RL chief Geoff Carr.

His father was an air gunner in the Second World War and, as such, he was delighted to meet Ken Lobley, from York, who was also an air gunner before re-mustering after the war as an Air Traffic Controller at Linton.

The visit got the thumbs-up from full-back Anthony Minichiello, the man who beat Great Britain forward Stuart Fielden and Kiwi captain Ruben Wiki to the new World Player of the Year.

He said: "It was really interesting. This is an impressive place, busy and with a lot of history."

Updated: 10:14 Saturday, November 26, 2005