England captain Adrian Morley is hoping his team-mates can pay the ultimate tribute to the late Terry Newton by lifting the Four Nations rugby league trophy in Australia.

Morley flew out with the England squad from Manchester on Friday night for the first leg of their mission in Auckland but not before attending Newton's funeral in Wigan, where he was a pall bearer.

Some of rugby league's all-time greats, as well as a host of current players and team-mates, were among the 1000 or so mourners who paid their last respects to the former Leeds, Wigan, Bradford, Wakefield and Great Britain hooker before he was laid to rest.

"I love Terry," said Morley. "I was really pleased I got the chance to go to his funeral.

"There is no better way to try to make him proud of us than by doing well out there and representing him.

"There are a lot in the squad for whom Terry meant a lot to so it would be a fitting way to pay tribute to him."

Newton, who took his own life at his Wigan home 13 days ago, won 15 caps for Great Britain and played in the 2003 and 2004 Tri Nations Series against the Kangaroos and Kiwis.

Morley's men will be aiming to become the first English team to win a series in Australia since the 1970 Ashes-winning tourists.

They will touch down in Auckland on Sunday without Wigan prop Stuart Fielden after he was given permission to delay his departure to be with his pregnant wife.

Sophie Fielden is already 10 days overdue with the couple's first child and the former Bradford forward is hoping to become a father before flying out of Manchester on Sunday night.

Australian-based internationals Sam Burgess, Gareth Ellis and Gareth Widdop will link up with the England squad en route to Auckland to prepare for Saturday's warm-up match against the New Zealand Maori.

Former Bradford forward Burgess was last night named South Sydney's players' player of the year after a superb debut season in the NRL, emulating the achievement of Ellis, who has been Wests Tigers' player of the year in each of his two seasons in Sydney.

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