Australia are through to the Rugby League World Cup final after thrashing Samoa 44–12 in the semi-final at Allianz Stadium, Sydney, on Sunday, 8 November 2026.
Reece Walsh scored a hat-trick of tries, including a backflip celebration after his first, in his first major contribution on the international stage. Australia ran in eight tries in all: Tom Dearden, Jacob Preston, Tom Trbojevic, Walsh with three, Bradman Best and Jack Bostock, whose try was his seventh of the tournament. Cameron Munster kicked six goals and set up three tries.
Samoa opened the scoring with a Stephen Crichton penalty in the fourth minute, but Australia took control after a Crichton knock-on. Crichton later had a try controversially disallowed for a knock-on, and Samoa prop Spencer Leniu was sin-binned for dissent. Samoa’s tries came from Crichton and Izack Tago. Australia led 26–2 at half-time and never looked back, in front of a crowd of 41,259.
Australia reach the World Cup final for the 13th time and are chasing a fourth consecutive World Cup crown. The 12-time world champions have won the past three titles in a row. The final is on Sunday, 15 November, at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, against New Zealand, who beat Tonga 34–10 on Saturday. It is a rematch of the 2022 final, which Australia won 30–10, and of the tournament opener, which Australia won late.
The win vindicated coach Kevin Walters’ selection calls: Dearden and Walsh kept their places ahead of James Tedesco and Sam Walker. It was Australia’s sixth Test win over Samoa from six meetings.
It caps a huge week for Australian sport, from Usman Khawaja’s Sandpapergate revelations to Champions Stakes Day at Flemington. The World Cup final is on 15 November in Brisbane.
Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.