Kangaroos avoid Rugby League World Cup upset, beating Fiji 36-22 at Lang Park

Well, after a weekend of absolutely demolition derbies, what a finale that turned out to be.

Credit to the Kangaroos for pulling out another victory to move to 2-0, but the performance of Fiji surely put the rest of the tournament on notice.

It will be very interesting to see how the final round of pool games plays out.

We’ll see you then.

Fiji captain Api Koroisau says the Bati know they can press the best, and they knew it before this performance.

The Kiwis are next up, with a victory and a semifinal berth not seeming so crazy.

“Even before the game we had a lot of belief and we showed that the way we played. That belief’s only grown going into this game against New Zealand.”

He says during the game they felt a historic night was within reach, but it didn’t weight them down.

“We were feeling really good. I don’t think we were that far off. It was definitely there but I don’t think it hindered us at all. They just took their moments.”

Coach Kevin Walters says world-class players in Fiji and the slippery conditions helped level the playing field tonight, but admits the Kangaroos need to improve.

“I think we need more from everyone. We know we can play better.

“But let’s give Fiji a lot of credit. At times it seemed like we were getting on top and they pulled themselves back into the game.”

Walters has used the first two games to give everyone a run, but now it’s about finding his best gameday squad.

“[The team is] not set. I’ve never been set on next week or the week after or the week after that. We’ll have a good chat.

“I’m happy with every one of the players in the squad. Individually every one can get better and as a group we can get better.”

Walters is giving no hints as to whether he will lean towards James Tedesco or Reece Walsh at fullback. And the halves are also a question with Cameron Munster expected to come back in, leaving Tom Dearden and Sam Walker as the candidates for halfback.

Kangaroos centre Bradman Best is engaged to Jeff Fenech’s daughter, Kayla.

Fenech is in hospital awaiting heart surgery after viral infection and Best said he spoke to him earlier today.

“He’s gone through a lot. He’s had heart surgery before and for him to be back there, it’s hard to sum up in words,” Best tells ABC Sport.

“I’m so inspired by him, what he’s done, he’s always helping me and I know the whole Fenech family is doing it tough right now.

“I was definitely wanting to do him proud tonight.”

Fenech says he wants to walk his daughter down the aisle in a couple of weeks’ time.

“He loves his daughter so he doesn’t want to miss it. It’s a special thing to do.”

With the win tonight, the Kangaroos lock in their semifinal spot and we now know when they’ll be playing.

The Kangaroos and Jillaroos will play a double header at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday, November 8.

The men’s game will be played at 8:05pm AEDT, after the Jillaroos’ game from 5:45pm AEDT.

The Bati and the Kangaroos are joined in a huge huddle.

One of the Fijian trainers is leading the group in a prayer and both teams are clapping as the Fijian boys sing. It’s really nice moment.

I feel a little sorry for Tom Trbojevic, who swapped jerseys with Manly teammate Caleb Navale and then had to do an interview with host broadcaster Channel Seven, so he missed out on that moment.

After the prayer, James Tedesco thanks the Fijians.

“You did yourselves and your country proud. Love and respect.”

That’s a remarkable effort by the Dolphins utility in a losing side against a Kangaroos unit full of superstars.

But I can’t say it was the wrong call. He was excellent out there, running powerfully through the middle and throwing the final pass for three tries.

The siren sounds as Taane Milne makes a goose of himself by farting around in a tackle with Sam Walker, and no-one seems to appreciate his antics all that much.

In the end, Australia escapes with a 14-point win and it really does feel like an escape after the effort from Fiji tonight.

The Kangaroos pack a scrum on their 10m line and should end the game with the ball in hand.

Credit the Bati for not throwing in the towel.

A penalty once again puts Australia in Fijian territory and Jacob Preston does what he does best, storming onto a short ball from Tom Dearden and bursting through the gap to score.

Jack Bostock marks in the in-goal and takes off for the 20m tap, but in his haste he’s tapped about a metre too far forward.

Bostock unleashes Tom Trbojevic for a 70m effort and what looks like his fourth try, but Gerard Sutton calls Bostock back for his tap.

Great placement by Brandon Wakeham forces Bradman Best to mark in front of his line, and he’s bundled back over the dead-ball line.

Hold on. Fiji isn’t giving up just yet.

A couple of penalties help them up field and gets them a fresh set.

They line up out the left and once again Kurt Donoghoe catches Tome Trbojevic in no man’s land and sends Semi Valemei over for his third try of the night.

Brandon Wakeham converts and Fiji trails by just eight. 30-22.

Credit to Brisbane for 41,108 people turning out to this game after a weekend full of games that were effectively no-contest events.

Uh oh. Tom Trbojevic is in a mood all of a sudden, floating from the right wing and creating extra numbers on the left.

The Fijian scrambles to deny him and Sam Walker rolls in a grubber, with prop Mitchell Priest knocking the ball out of the reach of James Tedesco.

A break down the left by Jack Bostock and Bradman Best gets the Kangaroos rolling and they simply put it through the hands to send Tom Trbojevic over on the right for his third try of the night.

I think Fiji might be done here, folks.

Brandon Wakeham’s short-side kick is high and reeled in by … Kurt Donoghoe?

He tries to catch and ground it all in one motion but can’t quite pull it off.

The Kangaroos go within centimetres of the touch line on the left, then Blayke Brailey finds some space from dummy half and hits Bradman Best. But the debutant centre knocks on as the defence blindsides him.

Fiji takes the ball back 60 metres from the tryline.

James Tedesco continues his man-of-the-match campaign with a grubber that takes a deflection and ends up in the path of Tom Trbojevic to scoop up and dive over.

That’s a bit lucky for the Kangaroos who were in that field position after Kurt Donoghoe knocked a pass down.

It would be a shame if this turns into a blowout from here. Fiji deserves better than that.

Fiji has been doing this without Api Koroisau. Surely the Bati hooker will come back on soon to make a real impact.

Fiji is penalised for a late shot on Blayke Brailey and the Kangaroos will take a shot at goal from 20 metres back, 19 in from touch.

Walker slots it and the Kangaroos lead 18-16 with 25 minutes left.

The Aussie halfback is penalised for a high shot on a rampaging Sunia Turuva and he quickly turns around and blows up deluxe.

I think he’s asking for his forwards to help him out in defence, and he’s not wrong. Your halfback shouldn’t be getting isolated in that situation.

Obviously there will be questions asked about whether the Kangaroos took Fiji lightly after this performance, and some in the peanut gallery feel like the fans came to the ground with the same energy.

On the back of the penalty for obstruction at one end, Blayke Brailey skips out of dummy half and shows the defence the ball before passing to Sam Walker. He finds James Tedesco, who fires a brilliant cut-out ball to Tom Trbojevic to dive over on the right wing.

What a turnaround from the no try at the other end.

Solomone Saukuru bursts through a hole off another Kurt Donoghoe ball, but Gerard Sutton says no try on the field.

And the bunker upholds the call as Elijah Keung is found to have impeded David Fifita.

Fiji goes left and once again Tom Trbojevic is in no man’s land, beaten by a superb cut-out pass by Kurt Donoghoe to Semi Valemei to dive over for his second of the night.

Brandon Wakeham converts and the Bati are back in front 16-12.

The kick goes out right and Ronald Philitoga beats Jack Bostock in the air to come down with the ball.

He offloads and Fiji look certain to score, but Bradman Best knocks the ball down.

Reuben Cotter picks it up in an offside position, but it’s just called a knock-on.

It’s a wobbly old one and fielded by Tom Dearden, who finds Pat Carrigan to barrel into a shuddering defence.

Fiji’s forward pack is dominating through the middle and the trio of Api Koroisau, Brandon Wakeham and Kurt Donoghoe – effectively all hookers – is keeping the momentum rolling, then icing chances once they get into the red zone.

Australia’s defence is looking really flimsy through the middle and on the edges. Tom Trbojevic is looking very much like a man not used to playing on the wing.

One concern for Fiji is the loss of fullback Bayleigh Bentley-Hape, but Sunia Turuva is an able deputy back there and Ronald Philitoga has brought some much-needed energy off the right wing.

Jack Bostock leaps over Ronald Philitoga right on the siren, but loses the ball in the air (Gerard Sutton called it a knock-on but I don’t think it was).

In the end, there’s no time for a captain’s challenge and the teams head to half-time with the Kangaroos suddenly in a real tussle.

Tom Dearden and Sam Walker aren’t making great last-tackle plays at the moment and there’s another one as Dearden runs it and, instead of going through the hands out to the left, tries the long ball and puts Bradman Best in the firing line of winger Ronald Philitoga.

Best offloads and Jacob Preston manufactures a decentish chip, but the Kangaroos definitely look out of sorts.

The Kangaroos are tackled on the fifth right on halfway and James Tedesco skips out of dummy half. It’s a risky move, but the returning skipper finds the space in behind the ruck and gets through the line.

He pops a ball to Sam Walker, who finds Tom Trbojevic. The defence shuts him down, but Walker comes again and gleefully accepts the offload to score under the posts.

Cameron Murray, Keaon Koloamatangi and Lindsay Smith leave the field.

Pat Carrigan, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Jacob Preston replace them.

So Reuben Cotter will shift into the middle. Kevin Walters will hope the changes can restore some order.

The Bati have been the better team so far tonight and it at last shows on the scoreboard as Brandon Wakeham rolls in a grubber for Taane Milne to dive in.

That comes on the back of a shocking kick from Tom Dearden that gifted Sunia Turuva, completely beaten for size by Jack Bostock, a mark deep in his in-goal.

Then they gave away a penalty in the ruck, and the defence on the line looks completely out of sync every time Fiji gets close.

Fiji almost breaks through the middle via Waqa Blake but it’s called back for an obstruction by Mitchell Priest, who was standing in the line impeding Blayke Brailey.

Even so, the defence from the Kangaroos was caught napping, with Keaon Koloamatangi not filling in the gap from the left after the ball went right. So when the ball came back the other way there was room under the posts.

We saw two Kangaroos intercept tries last week and Kotoni Staggs tries to nab one himself here as Fiji fires it left.

In the end, the leaping Aussie centre can only get one hand to it as he sticks his mitt out, probably saving a try on the overlap.

Kitione Kautoga makes good metres down the left and has a chance for a quick play-the-ball but Blayke Brailey hangs on too long and is pinged for a penalty.

Fiji will get into Australian territory again and look to take the lead.

Fiji wastes no time after packing the scrum and gets into the red zone.

First real chance they get and five-eighth Kurt Donoghoe spots Tom Trbojevic in off his wing, firing a bullet pass out to winger Semi Valemei, who dives in for Fiji’s first of the night.

The Fijian defence is rushing and frustrating the Aussies, and a gang tackle forces the ball out of Tom Trbojevic’s grasp on the 40m line.

Here comes the Bati’s best chance so far.

It looked like there might have been an obstruction as the Kangaroos shifted left, but lucky for the Aussies they didn’t score, so the bunker couldn’t get involved.

Instead they spun it right and Sam Walker thought he saw space in behind, but his grubber was quickly snaffled up by Bayleigh Bentley-Hape.

You might need to hit a refresh, Phillip.

The Kangaroos get into shape for a right-side shift and David Fifita is out the back as James Tedesco goes to the line. But the fullback hits Kotoni Staggs with a perfect short ball to send him through a yawning gap and over the tryline on his home patch.

The Kangaroos look certain to score down the left before Daniel Saifiti arrives out of nowhere to cut down Tom Dearden 3 metres short. Then Waqa Blake makes a flying catch to intercept the bouncing ball.

But Fiji knocks on again! Giving the Kangaroos yet another chance.

Fiji gets a set restart and a quick play-the-ball, and Api Koroisau looks to exploit from dummy half, but his no-look pass is out in front of Waqa Blake and he can’t handle.

Sam Walker’s first kick is long and straight to winger Semi Valemei and he drops it cold.

It’s definitely gone backwards, as evidenced by him making contact in front of the 20m line and the ball bouncing behind it, but referee Gerard Sutton calls a knock-on.

The Fijians spin it right early in their first set and fullback Bayleigh Bentley-Hape shows great speed to poke his nose through, but is eventually reined in by Bradman Best on debut.

James Tedesco sends the kick-off deep to Kurt Donoghoe to resume his international career.

The Fijians’ Noqu Masu prayer has been sung and the Kangaroos are in position to kick off.

Let’s hope everyone shows the appropriate reverence lest they be pilloried by certain members of the media.

The lyrics are on the big screens at either end of the stadium, which is a nice touch for any neutrals.

Kevin Walters is trialling some new combinations this week, with Tom Dearden and Sam Walker auditioning to be the new halfback to replace the injured Mitchell Moses going forward.

James Tedesco replaces Reece Walsh at fullback and is named captain for his first Test since 2023.

Walters obviously wants to give a few of his big names a rest, so it will be interesting to see who out of Pat Carrigan, Cameron Munster, Latrell Mitchell and Harry Grant stays on the bench tonight. It’s not expected to be a particularly taxing affair, but injuries can come out of nowhere.

A lot of people say they’ve dreamed of playing for Australia since they were a kid, but no everyone has proof.

Bradman Best does, and tonight he makes good on that pledge.

The moment the draw came out, this second round was highlighted as one without many genuine contests in it with clear favourites in every game.

So far the closest games of the past three days have been Tonga vs Lebanon in the men’s and Fiji vs PNG in the women’s, and both of those were 36-point blowouts.

All told, with Australia-Fiji still to come tonight, the overall scoreline reads a ridiculous 550-26 (that’s 264-22 in the men’s and 286-4 for the women).

New Zealand’s Kiwi Ferns just had the biggest win of the tournament with their 92-0 victory over France in Christchurch and I don’t see that getting topped, although the Jillaroos will surely give it a shake against Wales next Sunday.

France was also the victim of the biggest blowout on the men’s side, with an 82-0 to England yesterday.

Pretty wild for an event that kicked off with a two-point thriller between the Kangaroos and Kiwis.

If there was ever any doubt about the Jillaroos’ overwhelming favouritism to retain their Women’s World Cup crown after slower-than-expected start, there certainly aren’t any now.

The 78-0 hammering of England proved a point, but did cost the Australians one of their biggest stars.

For a moment it looked like Cook Islands might be up for the greatest of World Cup upsets.

After New Zealand jumped out to a 12-0 lead, the Islanders roared back with three straight tries to Brisbane Tigers winger Esom Ioka — two off intercepts and one off a perfectly weighted cross-field kick.

But that was where the joy ended.

The Kiwis followed up with 12 unanswered tries to run home 82-16 winners to continue the weekend of routs.

Earlier, the New Zealand women never looked troubled as they walloped France 92-0. In 70 minutes no less.

All told, Kiwi Ferns fullback Apii Nicholls took the title of the most prolific try-scorer of the day (so far) with four.

We also saw hat-tricks for Mele Hufanga, Stacey Waaka and Jamayne Isaako, while Tenika Willison, Raecene McGregor, Mackenzie Wiki, Tanner Stowers-Smith, Casey McLean and Ronaldo Mulitalo all doubled up.

Hello and welcome to ABC Sport’s live coverage of the Rugby League World Cup as Australia’s Kangaroos take on the Fiji Bati to close out round two at Lang Park.

It’s been a weekend of demolitions across three countries in both the men’s and women’s tournaments, so Kevin Walters’s men will definitely be hoping to continue the trend here in Brisbane.

Stick with us as we find out.