PREVIEW-Rugby league-Dominant Australia favourites to land 13th World Cup despite threat from Pacific islands

A ‌blockbuster ​clash between Australia and New Zealand on Thursday kicks off the 17th Rugby League World Cup, the latest attempt to project international relevance on a game which is booming in Australasia but struggling elsewhere.

The tournament was delayed for a year after France withdrew after ‌having replaced the United States and Canada as hosts, while the field has been reduced to 10 teams from 16 after a series of early blowouts in the 2021 edition in England. The extraordinary success over the last few decades of Australia's National Rugby League (NRL), which has a team in New Zealand and will expand into Papua New Guinea in 2028, has been matched by ‌a marked decline in competitiveness of the European game.

While forgiving player eligibility rules ensure that the cream of NRL talent will be on display over the month of competition, ‌it would be a seismic shock if any nation barring Australia ended up lifting the trophy in Brisbane on November 15. Only New Zealand in 2008 have managed to take the trophy away from 12-times champions Australia since Great Britain last won it in 1972, and the Kiwis would appear to be the one side capable of challenging the Kangaroos this time around.

Livewire fullback Kalyn Ponga has switched allegiance from Australia and will combine with halves ⁠Jahrome Hughes and ​Kodi Nikorima behind a pack studded with forwards ⁠who helped the New Zealand Warriors to second place in this year's NRL standings. There is plenty of quality in the squads of the main Pacific islands challengers as well with Samoa, losing finalists five years ago, boasting ⁠the likes of Jarome Luai, Stephen Crichton, Brian To'o, Sua Fa'alogo and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.

Tonga, who came within an ace of beating England in the 2017 semi-finals, will be able to call on NRL standouts ​Jason Taumalolo, Haumole Olakau'atu and Stefano Utoikamanu in their pack and have plenty of elite talent in the backline. England have supplemented their core of Super League players with ⁠NRL centre Herbie Farnworth and winger Dom Young as well as Australians of British origin in AJ Brimson, Victor Radley and Hugo Savala -- the latter two newly minted NRL champions with the Sydney Roosters.

It is hard to see ⁠a ​semi-finalist from outside those five nations with France, Fiji, the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea and a Lebanon outfit coached by former rugby union test coach Michael Cheika likely to do little more than make up the numbers. Australia coach Kevin Walters has two players in most positions that would walk into any other squad with his choice of Reece Walsh and ⁠James Tedesco at fullback alone the envy of the other nine nations.

To add to the lack of jeopardy, the structure of the tournament means even if Australia are caught ⁠cold by the Kiwis in front of 40,000 ⁠fans at Sydney Football Stadium on Thursday, they are still almost certain to qualify for the semi-finals. The tournament will take place mostly in Australia with a smattering of games in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea and will again incorporate women's and wheelchair competitions.

Australia's Jillaroos will ‌be favourites to land a ‌fourth straight women's title, while reigning champions England, France and the hosts are expected to vie ​for the wheelchair title. (Editing by Peter Rutherford )