New Zealand Reach Rugby League World Cup Semifinals With 78-0 Win

What changed

New Zealand reached the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals by beating Fiji 78-0 on Australia’s Gold Coast.

The Kiwis led 24-0 after 13 minutes and never eased off. Casey McLean scored four tries, while Brandon Wakeham and New Zealand winger Ronaldo Mulitalo were sent off during a fiery second half.

Why it matters

This was more than a routine quarter-final win. Fiji had pushed Australia close a week earlier, but New Zealand dismantled them almost immediately. The match became a forward battle, as captain James Fisher-Harris put it, and New Zealand won it emphatically.

Fiji also lost captain Apisai Koroisau to a suspected broken jaw after an eighth-minute clash. Semi Valemei, who scored three tries against Australia, left with a head injury. Their availability for Fiji’s next match is uncertain.

New Zealand’s own plans are less settled than the score suggests. Mulitalo could receive a tournament-ending ban for a high shot on Ronald Philitoga. Yet there is a major reason for optimism: Kalyn Ponga has trained after breaking his arm on 15 October and could return for the semi-final.

That opponent will be Samoa, Tonga or England. Samoa and Tonga meet on Sunday, while England need Tonga to win by more than 46 points to qualify. Australia, meanwhile, preserved its perfect group-stage record with a 66-6 win over the Cook Islands.

On this evidence, New Zealand have put themselves firmly in position to challenge Australia. The semifinal will show whether this was a true title signal or simply a perfect night against a Fiji side running out of answers.