The Rugby League World Cup is finally here! After a 1-year delay following COVID, England will host the international centrepiece of rugby league. Action kicks off on Sunday morning (AEDT) and Before You Bet will have you covered along the way. It will be a month-long celebration so stay tuned for tips across Australian and other important fixtures.
Rugby League World Cup Round 1 Preview & Betting Tips
Australia vs Fiji
Emerald Headingley Stadium, Sunday 16th October, 5:30am (AEDT)
Australia are the strong favourites ($1.55) to win the tournament so having a first up fixture against Fiji should offer them the opportunity to start their campaign off with a win. Fiji have potential to disrupt the momentum of the Kangaroos with hard defence but maintaining this intensity for 80 minutes appears to be a major limitation. The Aussies have attacking weapons everywhere; Mitchell and Holmes are the links at centre, with Tedesco creating opportunities at fullback, with DCE and Munster steering the ship. As good as their attack will be, they are also strong defensively on the edges. When you look at the forwards, they possess a pack which will be mobile and aim to play a fast game. Again, this strongly swings momentum towards the Kangaroos. They are unbackable ($1.01) to win, so you have to go searching for value. As mentioned earlier, they are blessed with attacking weapons but will also limit their opponents scoring. For this reason, they should cover the line (40.5) and win with something left in the tank for the remaining matches.
Same Game Multi: Mitchell, Addo-Carr & Munster to Score @ $4.50 – 1 Unit
Australia -40.5
$1.95 (2 Units)
England vs Samoa
St James’ Park, Sunday 16th October, 12:30am (AEDT)
The hosts will begin the tournament in Newcastle hosting a promising Samoan outfit. The hype around the visitors is high; they have assembled a strong squad of players who play at the representative level in Australia but have opted for a 2nd tier nation. This includes Luai, Suaalii, Crichton and Papali’I just to name a few. This will be the closest match of any round fixture and provides punters with plenty of value. The power of Samoa in attack will meet head-on with a strong English defence. Matches like this are generally one on the defensive end and England appear more capable in this area. Furthermore, they will be accustomed to the conditions and have vocal support from their fans. There is enough to suggest there will be an upset in this fixture.
England H2H
$2.30 (1.5 Units)
New Zealand vs Lebanon
Halliwell Jones Stadium, Monday 17th October, 5:30am (AEDT)
The only likely outcome in this game is a win to the Kiwis. Lebanon will put up a fight, but it will only last a short period of time; hence, you cannot place a bet on New Zealand to win. Once they gather enough momentum, the Cedars will be powerless to stop them. With other nations gathering plenty of attention, the Kiwis will want to make a statement with a strong performance.
New Zealand -40.5
$1.95 (2 Units)
Tonga vs PNG
Totally Wicked Stadium, Wednesday 19th October, 5:30am (AEDT)
Tonga have been the breakout nation in recent years and have climbed to their highest ever standing on the rankings. They open their campaign with a tricky contest against PNG; both teams promise to deliver a physical encounter. As good as the Tongan team is, they will take a while to gather momentum in this tournament. The Kumul’s have enough experience to match it with them on the edges and if they can slow down the ruck in the middle, it should keep the score close in this game. As such, the current line (26.5) is set too high and is worth taking on.
