Tonga is seeking arguably its greatest-ever win in the Pacific Championships men’s final against world champions Australia on Sunday as an entertaining international rugby league schedule draws to a close.
Meanwhile, the Jillaroos are out to confirm their supremacy in the women’s decider against great rivals the Kiwis Ferns, and the Kiwis will be desperate to avoid a second straight upset – and retain their Pacific Championships spot – when they face off against the Kumuls.
Jillaroos vs Kiwi Ferns
Sunday 10 November, 12:50pm, CommBank Stadium
The Jillaroos are hot favourites to cement their status as the preeminent force in women’s rugby league in the Pacific Championships final in Sydney.
The Kiwi Ferns snapped a seven-year trans-Tasman drought with a gutsy 12-6 win in Melbourne last year, but the Jillaroos regained the ascendancy with a 14-0 shutout in Christchurch a fortnight ago.
The class of Australian halves Ali Brigginshaw and Tarryn Aiken – who outplayed New Zealand counterparts Gayle Broughton and Tyla King – was a key difference, while dynamic backline trio Tiana Penitani, Tamika Upton and Jess Sergis produced flashes of brilliance to pick up tries.
Isabelle Kelly, Millie Elliott and Simaima Taufa also had huge games for the Jillaroos.
Meanwhile, the Kiwi Ferns struggled to bring powerhouse Brisbane Broncos centre Mele Hufanga – a tryscorer in both Tests against the Jillaroos last year – into the action.
New Zealand responded with a 36-0 win over Papua New Guinea last Sunday in Port Moresby. Mackenzie Wiki scored a barnstorming hat-trick on debut, but Shanice Parker moves back onto the wing this week with veteran fullback Apii Nicholls returning after being rested.
The only change to the side that lost to the Jillaroos sees Otesa Pule replace Tiana Davison on the bench.
Australia, 82-0 winners against the Orchids in week one, have made just one change with Keeley Davis coming onto the bench and Sergis named as 18th player – though Sergis was promoted to the interchange in the No.18 last time out.
The Jillaroos look a touch short as $1.18, 10.5-point favourites. But the Kiwi Ferns’ lack of direction and creativity without brilliant halfback Raecene McGregor shapes as too much of a handbrake to overcome in terms of pulling off an upset.
Twelve of the archrivals’ last 15 encounters were decided by margins of 10 points or less.
Tip: Back the Jillaroos to Win by 1-12 Points @ $2.50
SGM: JILLAROOS BY 6-10 / JULIA ROBINSON ANYTIME TRYSCORER / MELE HUFANGA ANYTIME TRYSCORER / UNDER 35.5 TOTAL POINTS
Australia vs Tonga
Sunday 10 November, 3:05pm, CommBank Stadium
After adding to their catalogue of stunning international upsets in Auckland last week, Tonga is hunting another boilover against Australia in the Pacific Championships final at CommBank Stadium.
The Tongan forwards were virtually unstoppable during the first half against New Zealand as they powered to a 24-0 lead – which was subsequently whittled away in the second stanza by some long-range Kiwi brilliance.
With the momentum all going the other way, Tonga snatched a 25-24 victory via a late Isaiya Katoa field goal.
Addin Fonua-Blake and Jason Taumalolo combined for over 400 metres, while from an attacking standpoint it was a vast improvement from the 18-0 loss to the clunky Kangaroos in Brisbane in week one of the tournament.
Australia, too, improved significantly in its second game against New Zealand in Christchurch, holding off a plucky opposition 22-10 through game-breaking flashes from the likes of Lindsay Collins, Tom Trbojevic, Zac Lomax (who collected a double) and Dylan Edwards.
The Kangaroos have been hit by a setback with Cameron Murray sidelined by a wrist injury, which sees Hudson Young get a start and Lindsay Smith debut off the bench. The Tongan 17 remains unchanged, though Keaon Koloamatangi could be a late inclusion.
Tonga beat Australia 16-12 at Eden Park in 2019, so they know it can be done – and there’s five survivors from that triumph in the side, along with coach Kristian Woolf. Another opening onslaught through the middle is the key for the underdogs, while Katoa and Tui Lolohea have to fire.
The Kangaroos’ key advantages lie in the match-ups provided by fullback Edwards and hooker Harry Grant, man of the match against the Kiwis, and more pace and size in the three-quarter line.
Australia are hard to back against as they look to atone for last year’s 30-0 loss to New Zealand in the final. But a boilover is not beyond Tonga – the momentum they bring into this decider is palpable and they are getting a massive head-start at the line.
Tip: Back Tonga to Cover the Line (+18.5) @ $1.90
SGM: AUSTRALIA BY 1-12 / OVER 42.5 TOTAL POINTS / ELIESA KATOA ANYTIME TRYSCORER / TOM DEARDEN ANYTIME TRYSCORER
New Zealand Kiwis vs PNG Kumuls
Sunday 10 November, 5:20pm, CommBank Stadium
Defending champion New Zealand faces the ignominy of lining up in the Pacific Championship promotion/relegation match after going down to Tonga on home soil last weekend.
But as the Kiwis learned the hard way after losing to Tonga at the 2017 World Cup – subsequently crashing to Fiji in the quarter-finals – they can’t afford to take Papua New Guinea lightly in Sydney.
The Kiwis spent most of the first half on their heels against a rampant Tongan pack as they spiralled to a 24-0 deficit. But they did remarkably well to turn the tide and level the scores; if not for some poor option-taking and missed chances with the boot, they would have won but instead went down 25-24.
Individual highlights came from international rookie Keano Kini, who bounced back from a tough first half spectacularly, and hard-working hooker Phoenix Crossland. The New Zealand forwards eventually muscled up but Isaiah Papali’i was the only one to make more than 10 runs or 118 metres.
Papua New Guinea rumbled through the Bowl section of the Pacific Championships, kicking off with a 22-10 upset of Fiji in Suva that was arguably more convincing than the scoreboard suggested.
The Kumuls then overcame a scratchy opening half-hour against minnows Cook Islands in Port Moresby to run away 42-20 last Sunday.
Nene MacDonald scored two tries and laid on another, Lachlan Lam produced three try assists to go with his own four-pointer, and winger Elijah Roltinga and centre Robert Mathias proved hard to handle all day.
The Kiwis have stuck solid with the same 17 for the third straight week, despite Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad’s lack of involvement paired in the halves with retiring maestro Shaun Johnson. Captain Rhyse Martin is back for the Kumuls after missing last week, with Dan Russell making way.
Papua New Guinea’s only win in 18 Tests against New Zealand was at home in 1986. The last five encounters saw the Kiwis win by at least 42 points, while their most recent meeting was at the 2013 World Cup, where New Zealand won 56-10 at Headingley.
International rugby league romantics will be making a case for a Kumuls boilover – or least a competitive clash. But the Kiwis’ chastened pack should steamroll their opposition, paving the way for Johnson, Kini, Jamayne Isaako and Matt Timoko to run amok on the scoreboard.
Tip: Back the Kiwis to Cover the Line (-19.5) @ $1.90
SGM: KIWIS BY 21-30 / ONLY KIWIS TO SCORE 10+ POINTS / KEANO KINI ANYTIME TRYSCORER / JAMAYNE ISAAKO TO SCORE 2 OR MORE TRIES