WORLD CUP holders Australia go into the 2026 tournament as favourites – and is there any wonder why?

The Kangaroos won all of their games during the previous event in 2022 and now, on home soil, they will be backed to repeat that feat.

Australia will, however, have to contend with New Zealand in their pool, along with Fiji and the Cook Islands, with the latter two nations keen to impress.

The reduction in teams to just ten – in a bid to avoid some of the blowout scores of 2022 – means Australia likely won’t repeat the 84-6 thrashing of Scotland in 2026, but they still look hungry for more success.

The World Cup will be head coach Kevin Walters’ last tournament before he takes up a job at St Helens in Super League, and his charges will no doubt be eager to send him off as a world champion.

KEY PLAYERS

LOSING key man Nathan Cleary, who broke his ankle in Penrith’s semi-final defeat to Newcastle is a brutal blow for the Kangaroos, and means the pressure will be on Reece Walsh, Cameron Munster and Harry Grant to step up to the plate.

With Munster’s and Walsh’s running threat and Grant’s liveliness out of dummy-half, the Kangaroos appear certain to pounce on their rival nations.

While none have perhaps hit their strides for their clubs – Walsh at Brisbane, Munster and Grant at Melbourne – during the 2026 NRL campaign, on the international scene they truly come alive.

COACH

THIS tournament will be Kevin Walters’ last as Australia coach before a move back into the domestic world of rugby league with St Helens.

Having only been appointed in 2025, Walters has overseen a 3-0 whitewash tour of England, but this will be his first World Cup in charge.

SQUAD

Bradman Best (Newcastle Knights), Jack Bostock (Dolphins), Blayke Brailey (Cronulla Sharks), Patrick Carrigan (Brisbane Broncos), Lindsay Collins (Sydney Roosters), Reuben Cotter (North Queensland Cowboys), Tom Dearden (North Queensland Cowboys), Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Gold Coast Titans), David Fifita (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm), Keaon Koloamatangi (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Liam Martin (Penrith Panthers), Latrell Mitchell (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Mitchell Moses (Parramatta Eels), Cameron Munster (Melbourne Storm), Cameron Murray (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Jacob Preston (Canterbury Bulldogs), Kotoni Staggs (Brisbane Broncos), James Tedesco (Sydney Roosters), Tom Trbojevic (Manly Sea Eagles), Sam Walker (Sydney Roosters), Reece Walsh (Brisbane Broncos), Isaah Yeo (Penrith Panthers).