Australia 32-12 New Zealand: Men’s Rugby League World Cup final – live reaction

I can’t put it into words. It’s unbelievable to come here. We were written off earlier and last week we started to turn it on and we saw glimpses of what we could do and we put it together. We wanted to give our older boys a win, especially on home soil in front of their kids. You can see them walking around. For myself, I had my family and my best mate who broke his neck earlier in the year playing rugby, to do that in front of them was unbelievable. If I can come out here and make them happy, that is what I want to do.

Jack Bostock only turned 23 in late August. He’s a try-scoring machine for the Dolphins, NSW, and now world cup-winning Australia.

“Pretty disappointed,” begins Kalyn Ponga.

Obviously we set a goal at the beginning of the camp. We have spoken about it at length. It was a disappointing performance. Credit to them. They played a better style of footy. They moved the ball well. It’s disappointing. Because we worked so hard. This campaign was so much more than the results on the field.

I‘m extremely proud and grateful to be part of this group. This space is one that when I retire I will look back on and be proud of. One that I’ve been earning for a while. We didn’t get the result tonight but I am glad to be here.

Thank you for the support. We have heard you throughout the weeks. We know what it means to you. We are disappointed as a group. Stick with us.

James Tedesco announces his retirement from international footy.

This will be my last time wearing the Australian jersey. To get a couple of minutes in a World Cup is special. That’s me done.

I am pretty speechless to be honest. Man, everybody come into this tournament and everybody writ us off talking about how good the other teams are, how good their cultures are. I just feel like we got disrespected, seeing all the fans come out, how is that for culture, baby! Whoa! I am so happy for Kevvy and the coaching staff. Being back with Kev is the best ever.

Reece Walsh understandably happy with life, repaying the faith shown in him by Kevin Walters, his former Queensland coach.

New Zealand, by contrast, will hurt for a long time after that performance. They belted the opening kick-out on the full and things went downhill from there. They failed to execute the basics in possession, found themselves bullied in defence, and now leave a tournament they spent large spells as favourites left to wonder what went so badly wrong on the biggest stage.

They started the competition slowly but by the business end Australia were firing on all cylinders and richly deserved a fourth world cup in a row. The spine was superb, the bench was impactful, the forwards matched it with the best, and the strike weapons hit the mark.

The Kangaroos are the 2026 men’s Rugby League World Cup champions.

79 mins: Sweet Caroline reverberates around Suncorp Stadium as Australia begin to celebrate yet another world cup.

78 mins: Tedesco, wearing the No 22, is hunting the ball like a Jack Russell Terrier. Australia’s playmakers ignore him for the time being and complete deep in the right corner.

Jack Bostock ices it in the left corner. Dearden sets play in motion, Munster keeps things simple, Best straightens up and finds a brilliant offload in contact, and Bostock does what he does best, planting down for his competition-leading ninth try.

Munster never gets close with his conversion attempt. He’s missed three of his seven kicks tonight, but that percentage hasn’t mattered.

75 mins: On comes James Tedesco! The man who lifted the last world cup gets a cameo. Trent Robinson is glowing with praise for Kevin Walters for the show of respect.

74 mins: Hughes goes for the 40/20 now but his kick is too shallow.

73 mins: “There’s a certain inevitability to the conclusion of this tournament,” emails Phil Withall. “Yes, there were some surprises on the way, but this was always the way it would end. Still, it’s been worthwhile all the same...” Absolutely, it’s been a great showcase for the game and proof that if investment is given to the Pasifika contingent there is a genuine world cup of nations to be had in future tournaments. It would help if England got their act together too.

72 mins: New Zealand are going nowhere with ball in hand. Crossland shakes things up with a 40/20 attempt early in the set but Walsh is all over it.

70 mins: The Kangaroos are now doing what they have to, completing sets then kicking high to the hapless Isaako.

68 mins: Australia complete deep in New Zealand territory with Munster showcasing his dancing feet and eyes-up awareness. The Kiwis run a must-score set one-out to halfway then kick deep to Walsh. That won’t do.

Incredibly, that was the Australian fullback’s first kick return of the night!

67 mins: Can New Zealand find some momentum? No. Nikora, deputising at left centre, spills a brisk move on tackle three. In fairness Ponga asked a lot of him, but still, characteristic of how out of sync the Kiwis have been tonight.

Finally the Kiwis string something together! Hughes takes the ball to the line, Nikorima stands it up, Australia’s defence floods forward so the ball is toed to the corner where the onrushing Papali’i is onto it in a flash.

Isaako curls over the extras and the game remains alive, just.

65 mins: A wobbly dropout is regathered on the ground by Gagai – who wins a penalty for his troubles. But the Kiwis are absolutely bereft in attack, losing the ball in a routine angled passing play to the left. This time they’re reprieved by a Staggs knock-on during the counter.

64 mins: Isaako is having a night to forget. He doesn’t even contest the latest kick to his corner, allowing Bostock the chance to palm the ball back and a second kicker to jab a grubber which is forced dead in-goal.

63 mins: The disallowed try, then failing to create a clear opening from two-and-a-half sets inside Australia’s 20m could well have knocked the stuffing out of this New Zealand side. That last attack revealed a side really lacking in confidence and cohesion.

61 mins: New Zealand are getting used to completing sets now and they get a second bite of the cherry with a Hughes bomb landing back in black hands. A full set in the red zone threatens to open Australia up on the right edge but they get a set restart for their troubles. Hughes, Clark, Fisher-Harris, all try and bust through the front door then Staggs flattens Nikorima! All the momentum halted Hughes is forced to kick off the back foot and the aerial contest is knocked-on.

59 mins: Australia waste no time going down the other end but make a mess of the last tackle, conceding an offside penalty from the second kick of the play. The Kangaroos chanced their arm with a captain’s challenge in case Papali’i’s hit on the first kicker, Dearden, was adjudged late, but it very obviously wasn’t.

58 mins: That will help; Grant penalised for a ruck infringement allowing New Zealand to kick from their own red zone to halfway. Whyte sets up a drive that reaches 20m despite Ponga making little effect entering play on the right edge. On the last Hughes bombs to the left corner – and Mulitalo sneaks in behind Best, leaps in front of Trbojevic – and out of nowhere the Kiwis hit back!

Or not. The bunker slow-mo identifies the ball bouncing off Mulitalo into Trbojevic during the aerial contest and the try is rubbed off. Before super slow-motion replays that is a try every day of the week. Even with it I’m not sure there’s enough there to deny the score, but to the letter of the law the correct decision was made.

57 mins: Australia settle things down with a composed set and Staggs hunts Ponga down with the kick chase. It’s getting desperate for the Kiwis.

56 mins: Narrator: they didn’t. The ball goes through hands from left to right, getting Australia’s defence moving, but the long final pass form Ponga is too far ahead of Isaako who fails with the slips catch. New Zealand have saved their absolute worst for last. They can’t have played this poorly in years.

55 mins: A rare error coming out of defence by the Kangaroos with Walsh and Staggs occupying the same running channel. New Zealand with the 20m scrum. They must score soon.

54 mins: The Kiwis recover the short dropout and cross halfway with a decent set. Hughes can attack on the last, kicking to the Mulitalo-Trbojevic contest but the ball comes off the New Zealander and back into the hands of Martin. Atkins on-field thought there was a knock-on, but the bunker took no time at all correcting him after a captain’s challenge.

52 mins: A rare lack of cohesion from the Kangaroos inside New Zealand’s red zone and some desperate Kiwi defence keeps Australia at arm’s length until Munster dabs a superbly weighted kick to the left corner. Bostock wins the aerial contest, palms the ball backwards and Isaako concedes the dropout.

In more bad news for the men in black, McLean has failed his HIA.

51 mins: And now Isaako – who has made a few errors – drops a simple pass running out of defence. This is turning into a horror show for the Kiwis.

50 mins: The Kangaroos are sharing the workload, sticking the ball up their jerseys as they run out of defence. Until it reaches Walsh, of course, he enters the line on the left edge and almost unlocks the defence with Best and Bostock in tow. That causes panic in the New Zealand defensive line and suddenly there’s space on the right for Trbojevic! Suddenly there’s front foot ball and Grant is held up inches from the line, wriggling like a ladybug on its shell.

48 mins: Risk averse from Australia again but Munster still manages to cause havoc on the last with a cheeky low kick that almost rebounds off Ponga back into the chasing pack. The Kiwis complete again but there’s no penetration. On the last Gagai knocks-on competing for a high ball with Bostock.

47 mins: New Zealand need to rip up the script now. The deficit is huge and their opponents have all the running. They need more than a completed set, but given it’s only their 13th of the night, it’s a platform from which to build.

45 mins: McLean is off for an HIA as Australia complete a textbook restart set.

Trbojevic gets his name on the scoreboard but that was all about Reece Walsh. With a full set 10m out Australia take one hit-up then spread to the right, yet again. Walsh enters the line and just bullies Nikorima, slips under Nikora, then draws the winger off his touchline to allow a simple try assist. Absolutely magnificent. The Kangaroos are having a night out.

Munster fails with the touchline conversion.

43 mins: Australia attack dangerously down the right with Walsh in the line. Yeo straightens up, keeping the defence guessing, then it’s back tot he right with Staggs. On the last Munster can flight a wedge to the left corner and Isaako can only fingertip the ball out of play. The Kangaroos will get another shot.

42 mins: Yikes! It takes just three tackles of the second half and Clark spills under contact from Martin and Carrigan. New Zealand’s completed set count stays at 12.

41 mins: The final 40 minutes of the 2026 men’s rugby league world cup is under way…

Australia’s speed behind front-foot ball has been the deciding factor so far. Grant and Munster have had the run of Suncorp Stadium, refusing to let New Zealand off the hook. They’ve gone wide early, keeping the big Kiwi pack at arm’s length, and kicked smartly to complete sets with emphasis.

The Kiwis only completed 12 sets of their own. With a side set up to dominate the middle of the park and wear their opponents down that is a coach-killing stat. On top of that Isaako has made a couple of blunders off the boot, Whyte and McLean have spilled coming out of defence, and there has been a lack of purpose on the last inside the red zone. Plenty to rectify in the second half.

“Great first half of rugby league,” emails Harry Sachar. “NZ got on top for a while early after the Kangaroos try but the current score in no way flatters the Kangaroos.”

In a complete reversal of the opening round Australia have absolutely bossed New Zealand in the opening 40 minutes. The Kiwis have been well below par, committing a host of unforced errors, and the Kangaroos have made them pay with a demonstration of relentless fast brave rugby league.

39 mins: This has been a very Queensland half from Kevin Walters’ side. The spine of Grant, Munster, Dearden, and Walsh are all Maroons and this has been the type of effervescent risk-taking approach that has allowed Queensland to disrupt more fancied opponents year after year.

Grant’s too quick at the ruck again and he sets Munster into space. Carrigan is in support on his inside as Australia tear beyond halfway. Play shifts to the right and there’s chaos as Ponga denies Australia with his hands and with his body. More chaos as Preston strips Whyte one-on-one as New Zealand try to run out of defence. The Kiwis are in all sorts! Grant doesn’t care, he feeds Dearden on his right and Martin is too big and too strong for Hughes as he crashes over for his second try of the half! The Kangaroos are rampant!

35 mins: New Zealand make an excellent captain’s challenge to win a set restart after Best was caught offside by getting in the way of a high bomb on the 30m line. The Kiwis get to work through their big men but fail to unlock any combinations and on the last Clark opts to run headlong into the green wall from 10m. Very disappointing from the men in black who might be in need of a half-time refresher from Stacey Jones.

What a minute for Bradman Best! He almost cost his team a try, then he saved it single-handedly, now he has four points to his name! Murray has made a massive impact since his introduction off the bench and he sets up a quick ruck from which Australia’s options confound the Kiwis. Grant – who has been superb at dummy-half – sets up a deep attacking line containing Walsh at second receiver. All the black jerseys are drawn to the fullback but the pass misses him out and lands instead with Best who steps dramatically off his left, wrong-footing Gagai, and opening up a lane for the Knight to carve through and run behind the posts.

31 mins: Best drops the ball cold in a simple catch-and-pass move to the left. New Zealand had numbers but nonetheless it was a poor error. Hughes picks up the scraps and tears downfield. How far can he get? 30m, 40, and he’s hauled down from behind by, guess who, Bradman Best! And he takes man and ball in the process! Zero to hero! Incredible.

31 mins: Australia try to unlock Walsh on the right this time but another superb legs tackle stops him in his tracks. Play shifts to the left and Munster grubbers into the line, one ricochet, two, Munster toes ahead again – and New Zealand are forced to concede the dropout. Isaako takes it – and it’s a stinker, never close to making the 10m line. The Kangaroos get another free-hit.

29 mins: Australia set up the play to allow Walsh to snipe on the left edge – he hits the line – and he’s chopped down brilliantly by Hughes! And Walsh loses attempting a desperate offload! Massive win for the Kiwis!

And now a massive loss! Running out of defence McLean is bullied by Staggs, Martin, and finally Murray, the youngster losing possession much to the delight of the Australian enforcers.

27 mins: Australia have committed to throwing the ball around early in sets, avoiding New Zealand’s big boppers up front and keeping the game moving at a crisp pace. They do just that again to shift attention to the right flank and the kick on the last stays there allowing Trbojevic a clear run to compete with Ponga in the air. It’s another fierce contest – and it’s adjudicated a Kiwi knock-on! The Kangaroos have a full set 20m out.

25 mins: Wide shots of Suncorp Stadium show flashes of lightning in the Brisbane suburbs. Let’s hope they stay away for the next hour or so.

From just to the right of the posts, 30m out, Munster makes no mistake.

23 mins: Penalty Australia for an escort by Mulitalo on Trbojevic as the Manly flyer chased a long kick on the last. Yeo points towards the posts.

22 mins: Australia execute a solid restart set and bomb long for Isaako to mark under pressure. Tapine muscles metres after contact, but it’s a modest set as the match belatedly settles into a representative rugby league arm-wrestle either side of halfway.

New Zealand can’t resist a second jab! From the penalty, Koloamatangi makes an incursion under the crossbar, there’s a quick play-the-ball – Walsh is at dummy-half – and he’s quick to find Dearden, who shovels onto Best, who spins the ball out to Bostock – all in the blink of an eye – and the Dolphin touches down for his eighth try of the competition.

Munster drags a conversion attempt across the face, the kind of shot Isaako gobbles up for breakfast.

19 mins: Bang! The Kangaroos get straight to work, going through hands crisply to the right to open the field for Trbojevic. He speeds down the outside, there’s one pass remaining for the try – it’s inside to Staggs – but Ponga is out to knock down and deny a nailed on score!

18 mins: Just as I type that Fa’asuamaleaui is penalised for a knock-on. But he calls for a captain’s challenge – and he’s successful – with the bunker taking no time to identify Marshall-King’s strip. Australia needed that.

16 mins: New Zealand are purring now. Ponga gets involved on the left and feeds McLean over halfway. Hughes targets Mulitalo again on the last and Trbojevic doesn’t look happy defending it but just about does enough to settle things down with a dropout. Munster takes it – and it’s an absolute hack – allowing the Kiwis a golden opportunity, but it’s wasted! Marshall-King is too slow at the ruck, Fa’asuamaleaui is sharp from marker, and he spoils the pass forward. Fa’asuamaleaui has been superb early for the Kangaroos.

14 mins: Penalty for New Zealand against Grant on Fisher-Harris on the first play after the restart. The Kiwis have the ascendancy now after Australia’s fast start.

Ponga begins to insert himself into the fray, stalking the New Zealand backline like a second five-eighth. He can’t fashion anything this time though but his grubber on the last is knocked on and the Kiwis get another shot. Nikora almost forces his way on the right edge, the ball comes out and Papali’i goes close on the left edge. Nikorima is everywhere, feeding short passes, accepting offloads, and then he finds a brilliant assist, delaying his pass, pushing the ball in front of the onrushing defender for McLean to accept, step inside Staggs and power through Trbojevic! This is superb entertainment.

Jamayne Isaako overtakes Shaun Johnson as the top scoring Kiwi of all time with a routine conversion.