Australia advanced to the men’s Rugby League World Cup final after a 44-12 victory over Samoa at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Saturday, 7 November 2026. The match, which saw Australia reach its 16th consecutive final, was highlighted by a hat-trick from Reece Walsh. Despite a highly anticipated start marked by an intense pre-match Siva Tau ritual from the Samoan side, the contest became one-sided due to Samoan errors and disciplinary issues.
Australia established control early, with tries from Tom Dearden, Jacob Preston, Tom Trbojevic, Bradman Best, and Jack Bostock, alongside Walsh’s three scores. Samoa’s points came from a penalty and tries by Stephen Crichton and Isack Tago. The match was marked by physical intensity and several controversial video referee decisions, including a disallowed try for Samoa that officials ruled a knock-on. Frustrations within the Samoan team culminated in a sin-bin for Spencer Leniu just before half-time.
The victory sets up a trans-Tasman final against New Zealand, scheduled for next Sunday in Brisbane. The Australian team, which has won the previous three world titles, enters the final following a performance that coach Kevin Walters described as a professional display, noting the team is peaking at the right time in the tournament.
