Kangaroos Crush Cook Islands 66-6 to Complete Perfect Group Phase

Australia completed a perfect Rugby League World Cup group phase with a crushing 66-6 victory over Cook Islands in Townsville on Saturday night. The Kangaroos ran in 12 tries to one in front of 19,172 fans at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, a sharp improvement on last week's scratchy win over Fiji.

Jack Bostock and Tom Trbojevic both scored hat-tricks, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui crossed for a double, and back-rower Jacob Preston also got on the scoresheet. After trailing 6-4 early, Australia turned the game with four tries in 13 minutes to lead 28-6 at half-time, and never looked back.

The win sets up a sudden-death semi-final at Allianz Stadium next Sunday night, where Australia will likely face the loser of Sunday's blockbuster between Samoa and Tonga. For the Cook Islands, the defeat ends their group campaign, while the Kangaroos head to Sydney with momentum — and a reminder of just how ruthless they can be when they click.