AUSTRALIA haven’t reached a World Cup Final since the first one, which was held on their home turf back in 2008.
Semi-finalists in all of the last three tournaments, Brett Clark’s players will be looking to go one step further this time, and with a successful and productive domestic season behind them, they will certainly be confident of doing that.
The one thing that won’t work in their favour is a lack of any representative practice. Their only meaningful encounters since the last World Cup were their two matches against England on the Gold Coast this time last year, both of which ended in defeat.
But the second international was only a one-try victory for the world champions and the Wheelaroos will take heart in that, and will go into this tournament with confidence that they can turn over any who oppose them. Their big test in the group stages will be their final match against France, and the result of that could shape what’s to come in the knockout stages.
KEY PLAYERS
AUSTRALIA’S two domestic adversaries will thankfully, for them anyway, be team-mates here. Queensland’s Bayley McKenna and New South Wales’s Diab Karim will certainly be looking to run things for the hosts.
McKenna, who was announced as captain following Brad Grove’s retirement, was the stand-out performer in the 2026 LCA NRL weekend-long Wheelchair festival with 18 tries and 29 goals, and he’ll be one to fear in the World Cup.
He’ll be ably assisted by Karim, who has had an outstanding season, lifting three trophies as captain – the NSW League with South Sydney Rabbitohs, plus the LCA NRL Championship and the State Challenge with New South Wales.
COACH
BRETT CLARK remains in the role of head coach, having had the same position since 2019, leading the side to the semi-finals last time out.
Cameron Sullivan joined him as assistant before the two matches against England last year, following a successful spell as head coach of Queensland.
SQUAD
Daniel Anstey, Peter Arbuckle, Cory Cannane, Diab Karim, Liam Luff, Bayley McKenna, Toby Popple, Stephan Rochecouste, Zach Schumacher, Adam Tannock.
