Main events
Team News
Australia: That all changes as Kevin Walters’ Kangaroos spread the load into the group stages of the tournament. James Tedesco, Sam Walker, Blayke Brailey and Lindsay Smith come into the starting XI from the sidelines, while Tom Dearden, Bradman Best, Cameron Murray, Reuben Cotter, Keaon Koloamatangi and David Fifita come off the bench. Best, Walker and Brailey will all make their Test debuts, while Fifita will make his Kangaroos debut after playing four Tests for Tonga at the 2022 World Cup.
Fiji: Mick Potter went with the same 19 that started the rivalry with the Cook Islands so impressively. Hooker Api Koroisau is the captain and lynchpin, veteran prop Jacob Saifiti provides some muscle up front, while Brandon Wakeham aims to repeat as the first-round man of the match from midfield.
Fiji XIII
1. Bayleigh Bentley-Hape 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Vaga Blake 4. Solomone Saukuru 5. Semi Valemei 6. Kurt Donoghoe 7. Brandon Wakeham 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Apisai Koroisau (c) 10. Mitchell Taytoisau (c) 10. Mitchell Perst Milganeition 11. Kaneition 13. Caleb Navale
Exchange: 14. Jose Lanyon 15. Emosi Ravosai 16. Ilyas Keung 17. Ronald Filitoga 18. Jordin Leiu 19. Apenisa Driti
Australia XIII
1. James Tedesco (c) 2. Jack Bostock 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Bradman Best 5. Tom Trbojevic 6. Tom Dearden 7. Sam Walker 8. Keaon Koloamatangi 9. Blake Brailey 10. Lindsay Smith 11. David Fifita Coubener 12. Murray.
Exchange: 14. Tino Fa’asuamaloui 15. Jacob Preston 16. Patrick Carrigan 17. Cameron Munster, 19. Latrell Mitchell, 21. Harry Grant
The threat of losing a game in pool three is so dire that we almost never get another chance to make things right. It’s just tough that we had to count eight in the first round, but we’re ready to go again.
Nothing went wrong, it’s just a tough competition where you have to hit the ground running, we didn’t.
I’m trying to be diplomatic here. If France hosted the World Cup, there would be more teams and it would be more like a regular format. I totally understand if it needs to be reduced to a 10-team competition.
It is not the easiest thing to do and we end up in situations like this. If you lose a game, you have no chance to fix it. It is difficult because now we have to rely on other results if we pass.
If England beat Papua New Guinea by 68 runs in Wollongong on Friday, a Tonga victory would allow McDermott’s side to sneak into the semi-finals. If the margin of victory is less than 68, they will need Tonga to make up for the weakness in their margin of victory. No chance? Maybe.
Knockout replacements
Pool A
Australia will top the group if they beat Fiji and the Cook Islands as expected.
Assuming that is the case, the winner of the New Zealand v Fiji match will finish second and join the Kangaroos in the semi-finals.
Pool B
The winner of Tonga and Samoa will top the group and (probably) play New Zealand in the semi-finals.
If Samoa win, Tonga will qualify for second place and face Australia.
If Tonga wins, England can qualify for second place if they beat PNG, and they have an aggregate margin of 68 points in their favour.
Round 2 scores
It hasn’t been the tightest of rounds so far with all the favorites winning handsomely. The Cook Islands kept the Kiwis on their toes for 20 minutes but the Christchurch crowd cruised to a comfortable victory in the end. The remaining three winners advanced to the podium finals at the weekend.
Preamble
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everyone and welcome to Australia vs Fiji live coverage of the 2026 Rugby League Men’s World Cup. Kick-off at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane is from 19.05 local time (20.05 AEDT/9.05 GMT).
I will not patronize the esteemed readers of the Guardian by setting up this blog with any hint of danger. Australia should win this match comfortably, perhaps with a total that pushed the 99-man cricket team that assembled at Ggeberha the other day. The combined score in the previous seven meetings between these sides was 378-24.
Nevertheless, with the Kangaroos coming into this World Cup without a Test match, every match is important for Kevin Walters and the players who are fighting for places in his starting XIII. The hosts looked rusty in their first innings against the Kiwis and walked away with the win. A lot of ground still needs to be captured, meaning focus must be sharp even during a normal strike.
James Tedesco in particular will be looking to make a statement at full-back, while Sam Walker and Tom Dearden will battle it out for the right to partner Cameron Munster in the semi-final. The Kangaroos pack were monstered by their Kiwi counterparts last weekend, opening the door for the likes of David Fifita to come into the reckoning.
Fiji’s young side will rely on the experience of prodigy Api Korisau and support Jacob Saifiti to keep them in contention for as long as possible, and should they gain ground, the likes of Kurt Donoghoe, Waga Blake and Sunia Turuva will have the class to go toe-to-toe with their direct opposition.
Bati made light work of the Cook Islands in their opening match and another strong display tonight could add excitement to their clash with New Zealand next weekend, with the Kiwis needing a win to qualify for the semi-finals.
I’ll be back with final team lists and more shortly. Please send me your emails and check back with me throughout the evening. The address is jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.