Water is wet, the sky is blue, and Australia are favourites to defend their Rugby League World Cup title. The Kangaroos have become so dominant in this competition it’s not even funny. They’ve won eight of the last nine editions, with a sole final defeat to New Zealand on home soil in 2008 denying them a clean sweep of wins in the last half-century.
They begin their latest defence on Saturday night against Fiji, with the rest of Group B fighting for a single spot behind the perennial world champions…
AUSTRALIA
World ranking: 4
Betfred odds: Group winners: 1/200, To reach final: 3/10, To win RLWC: 8/15
Best RLWC: Winners (1957, 1968, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2013, 2017)
2017: Winners (beat England 6-0 in the final)
As with most Kangaroos head coaches, Mal Meninga comes into the World Cup with the most star-studded squad around, but one thing his side doesn’t have this time around is recent form. The last time Australia played a full international they were beaten by Tonga in the 2019 Oceania Cup.
Covid-19 and a reticence to travel have left the Australians somewhat undercooked heading over the England for this year’s tournament, with Meninga’s 13 new call-ups being as much a result of the lack of games and it is the former skipper’s desire to usher in a new era of stars. The post-Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Johnathan Thurston era truly begins over the next five weeks.
Player to watch: James Tedesco
FIJI
World ranking: 6
Betfred odds: Group winners: 12/1, To reach final: 25/1, To win RLWC: 66/1
Best RLWC: Semi-Finalists (2008, 2013, 2017)
2017: Semi-Finalists (lost 54-6 to Australia)
Fiji have been dumped out of the World Cup by Australia on three separate occasions, all of them at the semi-final stage and all of them in one-sided contests. They followed a 52-0 defeat in 2008 with a 64-0 Wembley loss in 2013. At least last time they scored, going down 54-6. They’ll get their customary reverse to the Kangaroos out of the way early this time, playing them first up on Saturday.
Beyond that coach Jo Rabele will be hopeful of his squad progressing deep once more, with new Huddersfield Giants signing Kevin Naiqama among a group of big names who have just come off a competitive NRL campaign. Viliame Kikau, Apisai Koroisau and Sunia Turuva were all part of the Penrith Panthers squad that won the Telstra Premiership in 2022.
Player to watch: Apisai Koroisau
SCOTLAND
World ranking: 15
Betfred odds: Group winners: 100/1, To reach final: 200/1, To win RLWC: 500/1
Best RLWC: Quarter-Finalists (2013)
2017: Group stage (bottom of Group B)
Five years ago, Scotland came within 15 minutes of beating Samoa to the quarter-finals, eventually being edged out on points difference after a 14-14 draw with the Pacific stars in Cairns. This time around they have two huge tasks in Australia and Fiji if they’re going to get as close again.
Last weekend they were beaten 28-4 by England Knights in their World Cup warm-up fixture live on The Sportsman, but the run-out will helped coach Nathan Graham to see what he truly has in his 24-player squad. A group largely drawn from the British lower leagues, the presence of top-tier talent such as James Bell, Euan Aitken, Matty Russell and Kane Linnett will be key to the Scots troubling the two bigger names in Group B.
Player to watch: Kane Linnett
ITALY
World ranking: 17
Betfred odds: Group winners: 100/1, To reach final: 200/1, To win RLWC: 500/1
Best RLWC: Group stage (2013, 2017)
2017: Group stage (second in Group D)
In 2013, blessed with the likes of James Tedesco, Josh Mantellato and Anthony and Mark Minichiello, the Azzurri gave Group C are really good go. Four years later, with Tedesco, Mantellato, Terry Campese and Paul Vaughan leading the way they were a decent proposition again. This time around, they have fewer star names and are tipped to struggle.
Utility forward Nathan Brown was a substitute for Parramatta Eels in this year’s NRL Grand Final, and Melbourne Storm’s Cooper Johns has 11 career first-grade appearances to his name but otherwise it is a fair less experienced squad at the top level that Leo Epifania has available to him that his predecessors were blessed with.
Player to watch: Nathan Brown
Group B fixtures:
Saturday: Australia v Fiji (Leeds, 7:30)
Sunday: Scotland v Italy (Newcastle, 2:30)
Friday 21st October: Australia v Scotland (Coventry, 7:30)
Saturday 22nd October: Fiji v Italy (Newcastle, 2:30)
Saturday 29th October: Fiji v Scotland (Newcastle, 5:00)
Saturday 29th October: Australia v Italy (St Helens, 7:30)
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
Pictures courtesy of swpix.com
