Australia vs Fiji World Cup Tips, Prediction & Preview

Andrew Hendrie:

Australia kick off their World Cup title defence on Saturday night in Hull when they come up against Fiji in Group B.

Australia vs Fiji Tips, Prediction & Preview

Australia vs Fiji free expert Rugby League World Cup tips, predictions & preview – Fiji have scored just eight points in four previous meetings with Australia…

Australia vs Fiji H2H Prediction

Australia vs Fiji Tips

Best Australia -38.5 line odds $1.90 with Ladbrokes

  • Australia have won all four previous meetings
  • Three of those victories covered the -38.5 line
  • Fiji have scored just eight points in those four games
  • Fiji have scored just one try in four games vs Australia
  • Fiji lost 50-0 to England in a warm-up game last week
  • Josh Addo-Carr scored 16 tries in his last 18 games for the Bulldogs
  • Murray Taulagi scored a try in his last six games for the Cowboys
  • Valentine Holmes has scored 17 tries in 13 games for Australia

Australia vs Fiji Same Game Multi Tips

SGM will be published once all markets are available

Australia vs Fiji Match Details

🌏 Competition: Rugby League World Cup
🗓 Date: Sunday October 16
⏰ Time: 5.30am AEDT
🏟 Stadium: MKM Stadium

Australia vs Fiji Head to Head (last five matches)

  • 24/11/17: Australia 54-6 Fiji
  • 24/11/13: Australia 64-0
  • 3/11/13: Australia 34-2 Fiji
  • 16/11/08: Australia 52-0 Fiji

Australia vs Fiji Preview & Prediction

Australia play their first International game of Rugby League in three years when they meet Fiji in their World Cup opener in Hull on Saturday night.

It’s been 1076 days since the Kangaroos were stunned in one of the best international games of Rugby League in recent memory, with Tonga registering an incredible 16-12 victory.

The emergence of the pacific island nations is one of the most intriguing stories of this World Cup, but unfortunately Fiji stand absolutely no chance of replicating Tonga’s achievement or even coming close to beating the Kangaroos.

Fiji do boast some leading NRL talent – most notably Viliame Kikau, Api Koroisau and Maika Sivo – but it won’t be enough across the board to match it with the Aussies.

Only eight players from Australia’s defeat to Tonga have survived to receive a call-up from Mal Meninga three years later, with James Tedesco receiving the captains armband.

Meaning has made the controversial call to name Daly Cherry-Evans – who lost his last seven games with Manly in the NRL – as halfback ahead of premiership-winning halfback Nathan Cleary, but he may be giving the Panthers star an extra week of rest.

In fact, no Panthers players will be lining up in the opening game, with Murray Taulagi, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Angus Crichton, Jeremiah Nanai, Harry Grant, Reuben Cotter and Pat Carrigan all set to make their Australian debuts.

VERDICT:

You’d love to see Fiji keep this close, but we can’t see it happening. While they have some big NRL names, they’ve only scored eight points in four previous meetings with the Kangaroos and they likely won’t be able to generate enough points to hang with their opponents early.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Australians are rusty to start with so many new names, but they will find their groove as the game goes on and cruise to victory (Best Australia -38.5 line odds $1.90 with Ladbrokes.)

Australia vs Fiji Teams

Australia team: 1. James Tedesco 9. Josh Addo-Carr 8. Latrell Mitchell 4. Valentine Holmes 23. Murray Taulagi 7. Cameron Munster 2. Daly Cherry-Evans 18. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 3. Ben Hunt 5. Jake Trbojevic 17. Angus Crichton 22. Jeremiah Nanai 11. Cameron Murray 20. Harry Grant 16. Reuben Cotter 13. Patrick Carrigan 10. Jack Wighton 12. Matt Burton 19. Campbell Graham

Fiji team: TBA

Australia vs Fiji Stats

  • Australia have won all four previous meetings
  • Three of those victories covered the -38.5 line
  • Fiji have scored just eight points in those four games
  • Fiji have scored just one try in four games vs Australia
  • Fiji lost 50-0 to England in a warm-up game last week
  • Josh Addo-Carr scored 16 tries in his last 18 games for the Bulldogs
  • Murray Taulagi scored a try in his last six games for the Cowboys
  • Valentine Holmes has scored 17 tries in 13 games for Australia

Australia vs Fiji Best Bet

READ MORE

LATEST RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP ODDS
LATEST RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP PREDICTIONS

RELATED STORIES