Rugby League World Cup Wrap, Power Rankings: Australia Stay on Top as Samoa and Tonga Impress

The 2026 Rugby League World Cup has delivered a dramatic opening round, with Australia surviving a major scare against New Zealand, Samoa producing a remarkable attacking performance and Tonga recording a historic victory over England.

With the opening matches providing an early look at each nation's strengths and weaknesses, it's time to update my Rugby League World Cup 2026 power rankings.

Australia remain at the top, but Samoa and Tonga have given the defending champions plenty to think about. Meanwhile, England have plenty of questions to answer after a disappointing start.

Here is how we rank all 10 nations following the opening round.

10. France

France sit at the bottom of the power rankings after a disastrous opening performance against Samoa.

Losing 78–4 is a difficult result to overlook, particularly at a World Cup where every match can have a major impact on a team's reputation and momentum.

France were unable to contain Samoa's attacking weapons, and the size of the defeat raises serious questions about their ability to compete with the tournament's leading nations.

There is still time for France to respond, and their remaining fixtures provide an opportunity to show that they are better than their opening performance suggested.

However, until they demonstrate a significant improvement, France are the lowest-ranked team.

9. Cook Islands

The Cook Islands have plenty of talent, but they enter these rankings at No. 9 as they look to establish themselves against the tournament's stronger nations.

Their position reflects the uncertainty surrounding their prospects rather than a lack of potential. Competing consistently with the leading teams will be the challenge, particularly against opponents with greater depth and experience at the international level.

The Cook Islands will need their key players to produce strong performances and make the most of their opportunities in attack.

A competitive showing against Fiji would've given them an early chance to climb the rankings, but losing 40-12 they have no chance against the likes of Australia and New Zealand. For now, they remain near the bottom as they look to make their mark on the tournament.

8. Lebanon

Lebanon suffered a 42–18 defeat to Papua New Guinea in their opening match, leaving them with plenty of work to do.

The Cedars showed enough to get on the scoreboard, but they were unable to match PNG across the full 80 minutes. Against a side with strong attacking threats and passionate home support, Lebanon needed to be more consistent.

Their challenge now is to tighten up defensively and make better use of possession. They will also need to limit the errors that allow quality opposition to build momentum.

Lebanon have the opportunity to respond in their upcoming fixtures, but their opening defeat leaves them ranked eighth in our list.

7. Fiji

Fiji take seventh spot in the rankings, with the potential to climb if they can translate their talent into consistent performances.

The Fijians have the athleticism and attacking ability to trouble quality opposition, but they must demonstrate that they can sustain pressure and defend effectively when matches become tight.

Their position also reflects the strength of the teams ranked above them. Papua New Guinea have already recorded a convincing victory, while England, New Zealand, Tonga and Samoa all have strong cases for higher places.

Fiji have the opportunity to change that perception as the tournament progresses. A strong performance against the Cook Islands provides a useful starting point before the challenge of facing Australia.

They are not among our leading contenders just yet, but Fiji have the potential to make life difficult for the favourites.

6. Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea made an encouraging start to the World Cup with a 42–18 victory over Lebanon.

Playing in front of their home supporters in Port Moresby, the Kumuls delivered the kind of performance that could make them a dangerous opponent throughout the tournament.

Their ability to score 42 points was a positive sign, while the result gave them an important boost in confidence. The next challenge is to maintain that attacking threat against stronger opposition.

PNG's upcoming match against Samoa will provide a much clearer indication of where they stand in the tournament pecking order. Samoa's outstanding opening performance means the Kumuls will need to be disciplined and clinical to compete.

For now, PNG sit sixth. They have earned their place above the lower-ranked nations, but a bigger test awaits.

5. England

England have suffered one of the biggest setbacks of the opening round after losing 30–12 to Tonga.

The result was a major statement from Tonga, but it was also a worrying start for an England side expected to challenge for the title.

England struggled to turn attacking opportunities into points and ultimately failed to match Tonga's execution when the match was on the line. The defeat leaves them under pressure to respond in their remaining group fixtures.

There is still enough quality in the English squad for them to recover, and one poor performance does not automatically rule them out of contention.

However, the loss has made their path more difficult and exposed areas that need to improve quickly.

England remain fifth in the rankings because of their individual talent and potential, but they will need a convincing response to justify a place among the leading contenders.

4. Tonga

Tonga sit comfortably into the top four after a huge 30–12 victory over England.

It was a statement performance from a team with the talent to challenge the tournament favourites. Tonga combined defensive resilience with attacking quality, taking advantage of crucial moments to pull away from England in the second half.

Haumole Olakau'atu was a standout performer, scoring twice as Tonga secured a landmark victory over the English.

The result is significant not only because of the opposition but also because of what it says about Tonga's ability to handle the pressure of a major international tournament.

Their squad has the potential to trouble any team, and the win should give them considerable confidence heading into their next matches.

Tonga are ranked fourth for now, but there is a strong argument that they could climb even higher if they maintain this level. Their upcoming clash with Samoa could be one of the most important matches of the group stage.

3. Samoa

Samoa produced arguably the most eye-catching performance of the opening round, thrashing France 78–4.

The scoreline was extraordinary and immediately placed Samoa among the teams to watch. Their attacking output demonstrated how dangerous they can be when their key players find space and build momentum.

Sua Fa'alogo was among the standout performers, scoring four tries as Samoa overwhelmed France.

Of course, a victory over France does not necessarily prove that Samoa are better than Australia or New Zealand. The next challenge is to reproduce that intensity against higher-ranked opposition.

Nevertheless, Samoa deserve to be third in the rankings at least for now. They have a powerful squad, attacking threats across the field and the confidence that comes with a dominant opening win.

Their match against Tonga is shaping as a crucial test of their championship credentials. If Samoa can produce another complete performance against a top opponent, they could make a compelling case for the No. 1 spot.

2. New Zealand

New Zealand may have lost their opening match, but they remain second in the power rankings after pushing Australia all the way in a thrilling contest.

The Kiwis went down 24–22, a narrow defeat that showed they can match the defending champions over 80 minutes.

Although the result will be disappointing, New Zealand should take confidence from how competitive they were against one of the tournament's strongest teams. The small margin also means there is little reason to make a dramatic downward adjustment to their ranking.

New Zealand have the quality and experience to remain firmly in the title conversation. Their challenge now is to turn that encouraging performance into wins as the tournament progresses.

Samoa's extraordinary scoreline against France and Tonga's win over England have generated plenty of attention, but New Zealand's performance against Australia remains an important benchmark.

They sit second behind the Kangaroos, with the potential to reclaim top spot if they can build momentum in their upcoming matches.

1. Australia

Australia remain the team to beat, despite being pushed to the limit by New Zealand in the tournament opener.

The Kangaroos secured a 24–22 victory in Sydney, surviving a major challenge from their trans-Tasman rivals to begin their title defence with a win.

It was far from a comfortable performance, and the narrow margin will give the coaching staff plenty to review. New Zealand exposed weaknesses that Australia will need to address if they are to progress through the tournament and defend their crown.

However, winning a tight match against a major rival is still a valuable result. Australia showed they could find a way to win when under pressure, and their overall squad quality makes them difficult to move from the top of these rankings.

Samoa and Tonga have made strong early statements, while New Zealand have demonstrated that they can challenge the champions.

Australia therefore remain No. 1, but the gap between the leading nations could be smaller than expected.

The opening round has given the 2026 Rugby League World Cup plenty of intrigue.

Australia remain my No. 1 team after narrowly defeating New Zealand, who hold second place despite the loss. Samoa's 78–4 demolition of France earns them third, while Tonga's 30–12 victory over England puts them firmly in fourth.

England have work to do after their opening defeat, while Papua New Guinea have made a promising start with a convincing win over Lebanon.

There is still a long way to go, and these rankings could change significantly as the leading nations meet tougher opposition. Samoa and Tonga, in particular, have opportunities to strengthen their claims in the coming rounds.