Dream Decider Set: Australia and New Zealand to Meet in Rugby League World Cup Final

Rugby league could not have scripted it better. Australia against New Zealand, at Suncorp Stadium, for the World Cup. The two best teams in the tournament, the two old rivals, meeting in the final on Sunday, November 15, in a rematch of the tournament opener and a repeat of the famous 2008 decider at the very same ground.

The Kangaroos booked their place the ruthless way. In front of 41,259 fans at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Sunday, the defending champions dismantled Samoa 44-12, turning a 26-2 half-time lead into a procession. Reece Walsh was the star, the fullback scoring a hat-trick in his first major contribution on the international stage, while Tom Dearden, Jacob Preston, Tom Trbojevic, Bradman Best and Jack Bostock all crossed too. It was Australia's sixth straight win over Samoa from six meetings, and their most complete performance of the tournament. "It'll be a real tough one," Walsh said afterwards, already looking ahead. "We all saw the performance they put on last night."

He was talking about New Zealand, who had done their part the night before in Newcastle. The Kiwis trailed Tonga 10-6 in wild conditions at McDonald Jones Stadium before finding their rhythm, Kalyn Ponga brilliant on his return from a broken arm suffered just 23 days earlier in the tournament opener, and Jahrome Hughes pulling the strings in a playmaking masterclass. A controversial try for Dane Gagai gave them a 12-10 half-time lead, and after the break they ran in four unanswered tries — Casey McLean, Hughes, Xavier Willison and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad — to win 34-10 and reach their first World Cup final since 2013. The one worry was star prop Naufahu Whyte, who left the field with an ankle injury in the second half.

The final is a rematch in more ways than one. Australia beat New Zealand 24-22 in the opening game of this World Cup in Sydney, Jack Bostock scoring four minutes from time. The Kiwis have not lost since. Neither have the Kangaroos, unbeaten in four games under coach Kevin Walters, with captain Isaah Yeo leading a side chasing a fourth consecutive World Cup title after triumphs in 2013, 2017 and 2022, and a 13th overall.

But New Zealand have history on their side too, and it lives at this exact venue. Their only World Cup title came at Suncorp Stadium in 2008, when they beat Australia 34-20 in the final. This will be the fifth time the two nations have met in a World Cup final, Australia winning three of the previous four. The Kiwis, coached by Stacey Jones and captained by James Fisher-Harris, have waited 13 years for another shot at the trophy.

It is a double-header, too. Before the men take the field at 7:35pm AEDT, the women's final will be played at the same stadium, with the Jillaroos facing the Kiwi Ferns at 4:15pm AEDT after Australia survived a scare to beat Fiji 30-14 and New Zealand thrashed Samoa 32-0 behind a Stacey Waaka hat-trick.

Five Penrith Panthers will be involved in the men's decider alone — Yeo and Liam Martin for Australia, McLean, Moses Leota and Isaiah Papali'i for New Zealand — clubmates turned rivals for one night. The Kangaroos are favourites, they are at home, and they have already beaten New Zealand once in this tournament. But the Kiwis have done it before, in this city, in this stadium, against this team. Sunday cannot come soon enough.