Why rugby league needs Tonga-Samoa World Cup final

Tonga will face New Zealand after winning all three group matches, before Samoa face Australia in a repeat of the 2022 final. Tonga and Samoa met in front of a colourful and fervent crowd in Sydney on Sunday With blow out wins and a convoluted format, the men's group stage at the 2026 Rugby League World Cup did little to dissuade cynics about the unhealthy state of the international game. From Group A, Australia and New Zealand came through as expected and are widely tipped to face off in the final on 15 November. But from the strange lands of Group B-C, two beacons of hope have emerged. Tonga will face New Zealand after winning all three group matches, before Samoa face Australia in a repeat of the 2022 final.

And if either goes all the way, it would be good for international rugby league, shaking up the game in the same way Wakefield's Grand Final win has for the Super League – proving there is still room for surprises in rugby league. "Could this be a dress rehearsal for the final? I hope so," former Bradford Bulls head coach Matthew Elliott told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra after Tonga and Samoa's riveting Group B-C match, won 20-18 by the Tongans. "I shouldn't say that out loud as an Aussie