‘Unstoppable’ Australia crowned Rugby League World Cup champions

The Kangaroos got off to a flyer as Latrell Mitchell, James Tedesco and Liam Martin all crossed for tries in the first half.

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“Strong, powerful, unstoppable, Latrell Mitchell has his moment at Old Trafford,” Fox League commentator Andrew Voss said after Mitchell barged his way over.

There was a moment of concern early in the second half when Angus Crichton knocked Samoan playmaker Chanel Harris-Tavita out cold with a stray elbow when the ball was dead after Australia knocked it on.

Harris-Tavita was clearly concussed and was ruled out for the rest of the game while Crichton was sent to the sin bin.

But even one man down for 10 minutes, Australia managed to score another try when Nathan Cleary put Cameron Murray through a hole for a textbook try.

Samoa’s Penrith Panthers stars worked their magic to save some face with two second half consolation tries.

Brian To’o scored in the corner to put Samoa on the board before Stephen Crichton plucked a Ben Hunt pass out of nowhere and ran away with a brilliant intercept try.

But it was too little too late. Tedesco and Mitchell both scored a second try each to ice the game.

Tedesco, the Kangaroos captain, was named player of the match.

“The first half was exceptional, we did what we needed to do,” Australian coach Mal Meninga told BBC after the game.

“In the second half we scrambled well, a man down but we still scored points. It’s what you do, you work for each other.”

Samoa coach Matt Parish said: “We played a champion team and just ran out of juice.

“We just couldn’t quite get close enough to put pressure on but I’m really proud of this group. They kept trying until the end.”

The loss ruined hopes of a fairytale finish for Samoa, who had been seeking to make World Cup history and had even been wished good luck by the Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

The Pacific island nation has already reached a new milestone, becoming the first team outside of that trio to make a World Cup final since France in 1968.

It is the 12th time Australia has lifted the World Cup trophy as the Kangaroos maintained their stranglehold on global rugby league.

It capped a dominant day for Australian rugby league after the Jillaroos thrashed New Zealand 54-4 to win the women’s World Cup.

Originally published as Kangaroos beat Samoa to win Rugby League World Cup