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Reece Walsh delivered a mixed performance of brilliance and mistakes as Australia defeated Samoa 44-12 in Sydney to reach their 16th successive men’s Rugby League World Cup final. The full-back scored three of the Kangaroos’ eight tries to keep a determined Samoan comeback at bay in front of roughly 40,000 spectators.
Flashy Celebration and Coach’s Reaction
Walsh capitalized on a tiny gap in the left defense on 32 minutes to score his first try, immediately celebrating with a backflip. Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys previously dubbed him “the Justin Bieber of rugby league” and “charisma on steroids.”
The acrobatic celebration caused him to lose his boot, giving commentators concerns about a potential injury. Australia coach Kevin Walters stated in a half-time interview that there would be no more backflips, a directive Walsh followed in the second half.
According to BBC Sport, Walters told the post-match media conference regarding the incident, “That’s just Reece. He always brings up something you don’t expect.” Walters added that the backflip was performed to fulfill a request from sick children who wanted to see one if he scored.
Errors and Magic Hand in Hand
Walsh also experienced defensive struggles during the tense atmosphere. Minutes before his opening try, Samoa’s Stephen Crichton nearly scored after Francis Manuleleua beat the full-back to a high ball, though a video review ruled a knock-on. Crichton later scored in the second half after Walsh dropped a high bomb.
Walsh quickly answered both Samoan scores to secure his first international hat-trick. His selection at full-back over James Tedesco—who won player of the match in the NRL Grand Final—comes with the risk of balancing such errors with high-level skill.
When asked about the mistakes, Walters defended his player to BBC Sport by stating, “His catching of the high ball, it’s difficult and sometimes you don’t get a hold of them. He didn’t tonight but it’s not really anything we’ve got too much concern with.”
World Cup Final Showdown with New Zealand
The victory keeps Australia’s tournament record spotless with 170 points across four matches, extending a 22-game winning streak in World Cups since their 2008 final loss to New Zealand. To prevent a repeat of that defeat when they face the Kiwis in Brisbane next Sunday, Australia will need Walsh to perform at his peak against Kalyn Ponga.
New Zealand full-back Ponga returned for the semi-final against Tonga with a man-of-the-match display after previously playing 20 minutes with a broken arm in their opening-game loss to Australia. During that 15 October opener, Walsh made a try-saving tackle on Ponga before scoring a 60-metre try, despite entering the tournament following an eight-week absence due to an ankle injury.
Walters noted that Walsh was vomiting in the changing room after that effort due to physical exhaustion. Looking ahead to the final, Walters remarked, “We all know Kalyn. He’s a world-class player; he showed that last night. For the players, it’s been about what we can do as a team. If we get that right, I’m happy with that.”
Samoa Disappointed by Controversial Decisions
For Samoa, the loss marks their second consecutive World Cup exit at the hands of Australia, following a 30-10 defeat in the final four years prior. Despite an aggressive pre-match Siva Tau war dance, Samoa grew frustrated with several refereeing decisions, including two disallowed tries from Crichton and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
Discontent boiled over before half-time when Spencer Leniu was sent to the sin-bin for dissent by referee Adam Gee. When asked by BBC Sport about the officiating, Samoa coach Ben Gardiner gave a terse response, saying, “You guys saw the game. You report on it.”
Addressing his team’s discipline and performance, Gardiner added that they failed to react well to penalties and fell too far behind at half-time. He acknowledged that while his team fought back in the second half, they conceded tries too quickly and missed crucial tackles, though he maintained that physical push and shove are standard elements of a Test match.
