The Kangaroos are massive odds-on favourites to win the Rugby League World Cup 2017 and it’s really hard to find an issue with that at all. For example they smashed new Zealand in the 2016 Four Nations Final and they did the same in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup Final as well against the Kiwis. So England get the toughest opening match they could ever have wished to avoid.
This is a huge opening game of massive importance as well because the winner of the Australia v England game will have a much easier route to the final because it will mean avoiding New Zealand until then. Unfortunately for England, the harsh reality of the situation means that it probably won’t be them opening with a win in the group, which also contains non-contests pretty much against Lebanon and France.
England go as huge 5/1 underdogs in their duel with the Kangaroos on Friday, with Australia at 2/13 with bet365. It’s a hugely lopsided market but that is down to the brilliance and dominance of Australia in the game. England failed in their Four Nations campaign last year, finishing behind both the Aussies and the Kiwis after having lost to both of them. They lost 36-18 against the Kangaroos and only narrowly by a point against the Kiwis in the tournament.
At the last World Cup, England fell against New Zealand in the semi finals and that is a big concern again that they will have to face the second-toughest match that they could before getting a crack at the final. That is unless Wayne Bennett’s men pull off huge shock in this opening fixture, but then realistically they would have to go on and beat the Kangaroos again in the Final to lift the trophy. There will be a lot of pressure on the shoulders of Leeds Rhino winger Ryan Hall who has 34 tries in 33 appearances for England.
The last time that England played at the AAMI Park in Melbourne, was back in the 2014 Four Nations. England lost that game 16-12 but Hall controversially had a last minute match-winning try ruled out. That is part of a ten match losing streak that England are on against Australia since their last win over the Kangaroos in Sydney over a decade ago in 2006. England will have to show tremendous guts in this one to keep the tournament favourites in touch but an England +16 handicap for Even money at bet365 looks pretty solid to have a crack at.
