Welcome to our complete RLWC 2026 Australia v New Zealand Match Hub. Here you’ll find all the pre-match information, including team lists, predictions and stats you need and want, key players to watch and why you should bother watching the game at all. Plus we ask AI to do better than us with a predictions and AI Greg Norman pays a visit for his thoughts on this and all RLWC 2026 games.
After the game stop by for just enough of the opinion and post match stats you could need to keep up with each match of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
RLWC 2026 Australia v New Zealand Preview
TEAMS
Australia: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Jack Bostock 3. Latrell Mitchell 4. Kotoni Staggs 5. Tom Trbojevic 6. Cameron Munster 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Patrick Carrigan 9. Harry Grant 10. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 11. Jacob Preston 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo (c) 14. Tom Dearden 15. Cameron Murray 16. Reuben Cotter 17. Keaon Koloamatangi 18. David Fifita 19. Bradman Best 20. Blayke Brailey 21. James Tedesco 22. Sam Walker 23. Lindsay Smith
New Zealand: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Dane Gagai 4. Casey McLean 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. James Fisher-Harris (c) 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Moses Leota 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. Briton Nikora 13. Joseph Tapine 14. Te Maire Martin 15. Naufahu Whyte 16. Erin Clark 17. Xavier Willison 18. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 19. Keano Kini 20. Scott Sorensen 21. Leo Thompson 22. Jacob Laban
TEAM TALKING POINT:
Reece Walsh being selected at fullback over James Tedesco. Perhaps Tedesco needs the rest, so maybe Walsh has one game to find his 2025 mojo.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
LATRELL MITCHELL – ‘Trell is a big game player, and this is the biggest game he’s played in this season.
XAVIER WILLISON – He’s had a breakout season for the Broncos going from reliable bench forward to leading the pack. Looking forward to the net step up for the Kiwis.
BATTLES TO WATCH:
LATRELL MITCHELL v DANE GAGAI II – Their battle was key to Newcastle’s win over the Rabbitohs in Week 1 of the finals so let’s hope they get into each other again.
REECE WALSH v KALYN PONGA – Queensland’s two best fullbacks doing for their respective nations.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT THIS GAME
If you can’t get up for an international between the two best rugby league teams in the world, that opens up the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, and on a Thursday night with nothing else going on, we question your rugby league supporting credentials.
PREDICTION
Just get the feeling that there could be unfinished New Zealand business left in his bones after the Warriors NRL Finals losses with James Fisher-Harris leading the charge along with a forward pack that looks proper world class. Australia have loads of talent and ptoential for some great attacking rugby league, but that’s if all their stars play up to standard. I think the Kangaroos might be in for quite the shock.
New Zealand by 16
STATS
OVERALL H2H – AUSTRALIA 104 >>> NEW ZEALAND 34
IN AUSTRALIA – AUSTRALIA 68 >>> NEW ZEALAND 18
AT GROUND – AUSTRALIA 6 >>> NEW ZEALAND 0
WORLD CUPS – AUSTRALIA 18 >>> NEW ZEALAND 2
- New Zealand won the last World Cup game in Australia v Australia – the 2008 Final.
- Australia have won all 6 games v the Kiwis at the SFS, averaging 31 points per game v 9 points conceded.
- Australia are W12 L2 at SFS (new and old) and have won the last five games. Two of the last three games were wins to nil.
AI GREG NORMAN’S PIC-REDICTION
AI Greg Norman is always on hand to give his opinion on anything sport related, and we harness the power of AI and his imagination to come up with a pictorial prediction.
Greg respects the forward pack and thinks they will have too much muscle for the flashiness of the Kiwis.
AI PREDICTION
Since everyone else is using AI, why not us for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
We asked AI the following: “Predict the winner of this 2026 Rugby League World Cup based on historical H2H records, each team’s record at World Cup, each team’s International record from the last 10 years with a recency bias on the last three years, relative toughness of each team’s forward pack, and overall courage of the general population from each country.”
AI SAID:
Prediction: Australia 24-16 New Zealand
Australia’s superior historical record, World Cup pedigree and squad depth outweigh New Zealand’s ability to produce occasional major upsets.
New Zealand absolutely have the talent to win, as shown in 2008 and the 30-0 Pacific Championship Final victory in 2023. However, if these sides met in a World Cup Final and each were near full strength, Australia would deserve to be favourites.
Most likely margin: Australia by 6-12 points.
Upset probability: About 1 chance in 3 that New Zealand repeat their 2008-style giant-killing performance.
