IRL Men's Rugby League World Cup : Pool A

Sat 31st October 2026   - KO  14:45 - Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast , Australia

New Zealand

78

FT

0

Half Time
48 - 0

Fiji

Tries

Jahrome HUGHES (1)
Keano KINI (4,78)
Casey MCLEAN (8,25,56,62)
Dane GAGAI (11)
- FISHER HARRIS (19)
Ronaldo MULITALO (29)
Xavier WILLISON (32)
Briton NIKORA (64)
Erin CLARK (73)

Goals

Jamayne ISAAKO (13/13)

Sinbins

Jordan MILLER (77)

Ronaldo MULITALO

Brandon WAKEHAM

Match Preview | Winner takes all in New Zealand and Fiji Men's Group stage clash

It’s winner-takes-all as New Zealand face Fiji in their final group game of the 2026 IRL Men’s Rugby League World Cup on Saturday, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.

Both sides have one win from their opening two games, but New Zealand hold the advantage with a superior points difference of +50.

Fiji must beat New Zealand at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast on Saturday to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.

Dane Gagai, Moses Leota and Briton Nikora all come in to start for New Zealand against Fiji, whilst they make a change at full back as Sunia Turuva moves there from the wing, and Ronald Philitoga comes in to replace Bayleigh Bentley-Hape.

New Zealand (squad): Keano KINI, Jamayne ISAAKO, Dane GAGAI, Casey MCLEAN, Ronaldo MULITALO, Kodi NIKORIMA, Jahrome HUGHES, James FISHER HARRIS, Jeremy MARSHALL-KING, Moses LEOTA, Isaiah PAPALI'I, Briton NIKORA, Joseph TAPINE, Te Maire MARTIN, Naufahu WHYTE, Erin CLARK, Xavier WILLISON, Charnze NICOLL-KLOKSTAD, Scott SORENSEN, Leo THOMPSON, Jacob LABAN, Tanner STOWERS-SMITH

Fiji (squad): Tito (Sunia) Turuva, Ronald PHILITOGA, Waqa Blake, Solomone SAUKURU, Semi Valemei, Kurt DONOGHOE, Brandon WAKEHAM, Jacob Saifiti, Apisai Koroisau, Emosi RAVOSAI, Taane MILNE, Kitione KAUTOGA, Caleb NAVALE, Josese LANYON, Elijah KEUNG, Jordan MILLER, Joseph LITIDAMU, Jordan LEIU, Apensia DRITI, Zion JOHNSON, Bayleigh BENTLEY-HAPE, Kylan MAFOA

27 October 2026
1 Keano KINI
Full Back
Tito (Sunia) Turuva 1
2 Jamayne ISAAKO
Right Wing
Ronald PHILITOGA 2
3 Dane GAGAI
Right Centre
Waqa Blake 3
4 Casey MCLEAN
Left Centre
Solomone SAUKURU 4
5 Ronaldo MULITALO
Left Wing
Semi Valemei 5
6 Kodi NIKORIMA
Stand Off
Kurt DONOGHOE 6
7 Jahrome HUGHES
Scrum Half
Brandon WAKEHAM 7
8 - FISHER HARRIS
Prop
Jacob Saifiti 8
9 Jeremy MARSHALL-KING
Hooker
Apisai Koroisau 9
10 Moses LEOTA
Prop
Emosi RAVOSAI 10
11 Isaiah PAPALI'I
Second Row
Taane MILNE 11
12 Briton NIKORA
Second Row
Kitione KAUTOGA 12
13 Joseph TAPINE
Loose Forward
Caleb NAVALE 13
14 Te Maire MARTIN (used)
Int 1
Josese LANYON (used) 14
15 Naufahu WHYTE (used)
Int 2
Elijah KEUNG (used) 15
16 Erin CLARK (used)
Int 3
Joseph LITIDAMU (used) 16
17 Xavier WILLISON (used)
Int 4
Apensia DRITI (used) 17
18 Charnze NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
Int 5
Jordan LEIU 18
19 Scott SORENSEN
Int 6
Jordan MILLER 19

New Zealand winger Ronaldo Mulitalo and Fiji halfback Brandon Wakeham were sent from the field at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday as the Kiwis tuned up for the semi-finals with a 78-0 smashing of the Bati.

With the Kiwis cruising at 48-0 the match exploded in the 52nd minute when Mulitalo shot in off his wing and made high contact with Ronald Philitoga, who was ruled out of the rest of the game.

Wakeham came in to remonstrate with Mulitalo and threw a punch, leading to him being marched.

With both sides down to 12 men the Kiwis ran in five more tries, with gun centre Casey McLean bagging four to take his record to 15 tries in seven Tests.

While Mulitalo faces a nervous wait for Sunday's judiciary charges his team-mates will revel in the comprehensive nature of the victory that sends an ominous warning to their World Cup rivals.

Chasing their first World Cup title since 2008, the Kiwis' 13-try romp was started and finished by Keano Kini, who racked up 260 run metres and seven tackle breaks.

The clash at Cbus Super Stadium was a shootout for a semi-final berth but in the end the Bati simply had no answers as the loss of Api Koroisau (jaw) and Semi Valemei (head knock) in the first half left them rattled.

By the time the half-time siren sounded the Kiwis had racked up a 48-0 lead as Kini, McLean and Mulitalo broke tackles at will and Naufahu Whyte continued to enhance his reputation as one of the game's elite big men.

Skipper James Fisher-Harris got in on the action with his first Test try since the 2023 Pacific Championships against Samoa, trailing through to pounce on the ball after Mulitalo had tapped back a Jahrome Hughes bomb.

Hughes finished the day with three try assists as he tuned up for the knockout stage of the tournament where the Kiwis are a chance of welcoming back superstar Kalyn Ponga from a broken arm.

Ponga suffered the injury in the tournament opener against Australia on October 15 and most expected he was done for the campaign but the Knights No.1 has worked tirelessly on his rehab and looms as a real X-factor for the Kiwis next week.

 
31 October 2026