Australia will play either Tonga or England in the final

[titoelcolombiano]

England will be too strong and professional over 80 mins for PNG

New Zealand the same against Fiji (they are not going to trip two weeks in a row, plus Fiji don't have the same motivational resources to draw on as Tonga did - that match was in Tonga's sights for months and became the game it did once the defectors came accross

Australia will demolish an understrength Samoan team

It is good for Tonga that they are playing Lebanon instead of Fiji. I would expect a slight let down from the team after the NZ win but Lebanon, even though they will be show lots of heart, will not have the fire power to take advantage

From there the semis could go either way. You can bet that the Kiwis will be up for it at Suncorp and have the players and game to trouble Australia if they turn up to play. England and Tonga will be quite a tussle - realisticly though, NZ should have shut them out in the second half last week and I don't think England will make the same mistake.

Tonga certainly lit up the tournament for us though - three world cups in a row with Aus beating Fiji by 50 and NZL breaking England's heart in the other semi would have been a little .... meh!

 

[Last Week]

It's wide open the cup. And I think Lebanon are capable of causing an upset against Tonga. You can't describe Tonga as consistent.

Samoa could turn up against Australia. But I don't think Australia will lose their focus.

Prediction;
Australia d. Samoa
New Zealand d. Fiji

England d. PNG
Tonga d. Lebanon

Semis
Australia d. New Zealand
England d. Tonga

Final
Australia v England.

 

[DC_fan]

It's wide open the cup. And I think Lebanon are capable of causing an upset against Tonga. You can't describe Tonga as consistent.

Samoa could turn up against Australia. But I don't think Australia will lose their focus.

Prediction;
Australia d. Samoa
New Zealand d. Fiji

England d. PNG
Tonga d. Lebanon

Semis
Australia d. New Zealand
England d. Tonga

Final
Australia v England.

I agree with you right up to England v Tonga game. Here I see an upset occurring, with Tonga getting the money. Regardless of who Australia plays in the final, we should win.

The big winner in this tournament is rugby league

 

[SBD82]

The best thing about this week is that there is only one game that feels like a foregone conclusion. If the favourites in the other games show up with a crap attitude, they'll be going home losers.

This could be the best 4 games of international rugby league that we have ever seen played in one weekend. I'm big Kev levels of excited right now.

 

[kdalymc]

No matter what were Australia always destined to meet New Zealand in the semis ?
I’m a big supporter of other teams having a go but isn’t this a bit like Raphael and Roger meeting in the semis and the winner playing Lleyton Hewitt?

 

[Billythekid]

No matter what were Australia always destined to meet New Zealand in the semis ?
I’m a big supporter of other teams having a go but isn’t this a bit like Raphael and Roger meeting in the semis and the winner playing Lleyton Hewitt?

No. It was set up so that they would be on opposite sides, NZ ended up on Australia's side because they failed to top their group.

Also it feels a bit unfair if every World Cup Australia faces a 2nd tier nation whilst NZ and Eng battle it out on the other side.

 

[JasonE]

No matter what were Australia always destined to meet New Zealand in the semis ?
I’m a big supporter of other teams having a go but isn’t this a bit like Raphael and Roger meeting in the semis and the winner playing Lleyton Hewitt?

Quite the opposite, they were due to meet in the final until Tonga spoiled that idea.

 

[Lebbo73]

The thread title speaks volumes about why the rest of us think Australians are arrogant. Not all Aussies of course but too many for my liking.

Australia will beat the Kiwis by 30 in the semis and then roll England or Tonga by 20.

 

[Lebbo73]

It's wide open the cup. And I think Lebanon are capable of causing an upset against Tonga. You can't describe Tonga as consistent.

Samoa could turn up against Australia. But I don't think Australia will lose their focus.

Prediction;
Australia d. Samoa
New Zealand d. Fiji

England d. PNG
Tonga d. Lebanon

Semis
Australia d. New Zealand
England d. Tonga

Final
Australia v England.

Tonga will obliterate Lebanon. Australia will smash New Zealand and win the WC final comfortably.

 

[Billythekid]

Australia will beat the Kiwis by 30 in the semis and then roll England or Tonga by 20.

No doubt you'll be missing in a few weeks when the final results come in.

 

[Last Week]

Tonga will obliterate Lebanon. Australia will smash New Zealand and win the WC final comfortably.

Oh, ok.

 

[ULYSSES]

If Aust doesn't win it's semi then it will not play anyone in the final.

 

[Perth Red]

Kidwell to weave some magic and nz to knock Australia out in the biggest upset in international RL for 50 years. You can but hope!

 

[Pedge1971]

No. It was set up so that they would be on opposite sides, NZ ended up on Australia's side because they failed to top their group.

Also it feels a bit unfair if every World Cup Australia faces a 2nd tier nation whilst NZ and Eng battle it out on the other side.

Then someone beat the Aussies consistently and claim world number 1. The draw is based on seeding.

 

[Pedge1971]

Kidwell to weave some magic and nz to knock Australia out in the biggest upset in international RL for 50 years. You can but hope!

I like where u were going with that. Then u mentioned Kidwell....

 

[Lebbo73]

No doubt you'll be missing in a few weeks when the final results come in.

It's the off-season and I'm hardly here at the best of times.
What are you fellas watching? Austraia is the runaway favourite. No team will go close to beating them. I'm personally looking forward to the best game left in the World Cup, Tonga vs England in the semis.

 

[Lebbo73]

Oh, ok.

Do you watch rugby league?

 

[DC_fan]

If Aust doesn't win it's semi then it will not play anyone in the final.

But obviously that isn’t going to happen

 

[Billythekid]

Then someone beat the Aussies consistently and claim world number 1. The draw is based on seeding.

Like we really play enough Internationals to have a decent seeding system.

 

[Valheru]

There is not a chance that NZ lose to Fiji, they will probably win by 40. Australia will flog Samoa and England will beat PNG by around 20 points.

I actually think Tonga/Lebanon will be the closest of the fixtures. Tonga are in danger of a massive let down after the high of last week and Lebanon have been stoic throughout the tournament thus far.