NEIL Kelly has called on the game's rulers to take Welsh international rugby league seriously after their spirited showing against the undefeated New Zealanders.

The unfancied Welsh battled valiantly against Gary Freeman's tourists until conceding a late avalanche of points to go down 50-22 at a near-deserted Millennium Stadium.

Kelly's combination of rising stars and journeymen - including five players looking for new clubs for Super League VIII - held the Kiwis to an 18-10 interval lead and, even after the visitors had posted their ninth touchdown, hit back to claim the last two tries of the match, much to the delight of the 8,746 crowd.

It was only Wales' second match since their 58-18 demolition by the 2000 Kiwis and Kelly believes it is time to draw up an international programme for his team.

He was particularly annoyed over their omission from the revived World Sevens, due to be held in Sydney in February.

"We've got to have a look at where we go from here," he said.

"There's been lots of discussion this week about a game against Russia.

"I can't see why we've been excluded from the World Sevens. I think we would have a very good sevens side.

"I would hope people will look at the side and see that, in players like Mason, Mills, Lennon and O'Hare we are one of the few countries most likely to offer realistic and competitive football against some of the current rugby league playing nations."

Kelly, Super League Coach of the Year, insists he is happy to remain at the helm but whether former captain Keiron Cunningham has a future with Wales remains unclear.

Kelly revealed the team had received good luck messages from his predecessor Clive Griffiths and former captain Iestyn Harris, in addition to Welsh soccer boss Mark Hughes and golfer Philip Price, but that the squad had not heard from the St Helens hooker.

Cunningham pulled out of the squad suddenly, apparently without explanation, three days before the match and will undergo a medical on his injured hand today to determine whether or not he is fit for the first Test at Blackburn on Saturday.

New Zealand warmed up in ominous fashion with a performance coach Freeman rated their best of the tour so far and "a good stepping stone" for the Test series.

Powerful left winger Francis Meli took advantage of the dry conditions under the closed roof to score the first hat-trick of the tour and hooker Richard Swain claimed a try and six goals as the Kiwis made it four wins out of four.

"We could have let a couple of games slip here and there but I'm pretty proud of the way they have performed in the last four games," said Freeman.

Architect of their storming second-half show was captain Stacey Jones, who scored a solo try and wreaked havoc with his darting runs, while Bradford captain Robbie Paul again caught the eye despite playing out of position for the second successive match.

Paul, a specialist stand-off who filled in at centre against England A last Wednesday, was switched to full-back following the late withdrawal of David Vaealiki through illness and demonstrated his versatility with another impressive performance.

Freeman will name his Test team on Thursday and expects to have both Vaealiki and centre Clinton Toopi, who was rested against Wales with a slight chest injury, back to face Great Britain.