International Power Rankings: Kangaroos quality, Kumuls class, Wales winners

Ben Olawumi
Mal Meninga, Jason Demetriou, John Kear

Australia head coach Mal Meninga, Papua New Guinea boss Jason Demetriou and Wales chief John Kear

Each week this season, Love Rugby League has brought to you our Power Rankings, ranking the top 10 clubs in the British game we believe have the most momentum behind them.

Now that the campaign is over at club level, we’re switching our focus to the international game and bringing you an ‘International Power Rankings’ over the next few weeks.

The premise of the article remains the same – we’re ranking the nations involved based upon their on-field momentum, so teams can move up and down the ranking week-on-week – or even out of them entirely.

To simplify things, any nation who have been in action over the seven days prior to the release of our Power Rankings each Monday will be considered – men, women and wheelchair sides alike.

So, next week, England and Samoa will both be in contention as their two-match Test Series against one another will have got underway.

For now though, neither of those two are eligible for entrance into this week’s ranking.

Without further ado, here’s the Love Rugby League Power Rankings (21/10/2024)…

LRL RECOMMENDS: Pacific Championships week one round-up as Super League-bound stars shine

10. Papua New Guinea (Women) – NEW

Lyiannah Allen
Papua New Guinea Women’s Lyiannah Allen dejected following an Australia try

PNG’s Women, the Orchids, had only played 11 full international games in their history prior to Friday’s meeting with world champions Australia in Brisbane. Having been thumped 50-0 by the Aussies’ Prime Minister’s XIII side a few days prior, the Orchids were beaten 84-0 in their Pacific Cup opener, conceding 48 points in an energy-sapping second half.

9. Tonga (Women) – NEW

In the Women’s Pacific Bowl, Tonga’s World Cup dreams were shattered as they lost the semi-final 30-16 to Samoa on Saturday in Suva. That was the Tongans’ 14th full international having first played in 2003 but gone from November 2008 to November 2020 without taking to the field. They’ve won just one of those 14.

LRL RECOMMENDS: Where Are They Now? The England side from Shaun Wane’s first game in charge in 2021

8. Jamaica (Men) – NEW

The Reggae Warriors’ first outing since their loss to the United States last December ended in defeat, beaten 22-16 by Wales in their Test match in Neath last Tuesday night despite leading 10-0. Jamaica’s wait for a win goes on, last tasting victory in June 2019 – they have lost six games since as well as drawing 30-30 with Scotland.

7. Fiji (Men) – NEW

Fiji played on home soil for the first time in 24 years on Saturday, and over 7,500 were in attendance in Suva at the National Stadium for their Pacific Bowl opener. Their homecoming though ended in a 22-10 defeat to Papua New Guinea, putting in a more respectable second half showing having gone into the sheds 16-0 down at the break.

TRANSFER NEWS: NRL veteran ‘close to signing’ Super League deal for 2025

6. Tonga (Men) – NEW

We’ve already had Tonga’s Women in our rankings, and the men’s side are here having also been beaten. Their 18-0 loss away against Australia was very respectable however, making the Kangaroos work hard for the win and seeing a try of their own ruled out. A defeat, but a semi-positive result for Kristian Woolf’s side.

5. Wales (Men) – NEW

Wales‘ 22-16 won against Jamaica at The Gnoll was their first outing in almost two years, and having tasted victory, was the perfect warm-up ahead of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup qualifying tournament over in France this autumn. John Kear’s side  take on Serbia in the semi-finals of the qualifying tournament, vying for a spot in the final against either hosts France or Ukraine.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Super League and NRL youngsters named in Scotland squad for Ireland Test

4. Samoa (Women) – NEW

Fetū Samoa kept their World Cup hopes alive with that 30-16 win against Tonga in Suva. 20-10 to the good at the break on Saturday, Jamie Soward’s side saw the job through and are now in the final against either the Cook Islands or Fiji. A win will see them qualify for the World Cup automatically, while a loss sees them enter the 2025 World Series qualifying tournament.

3. Papua New Guinea (Men) – NEW

PNG are becoming a force to be reckoned with in the men’s international game, and the Kumuls’ 22-10 win against Fiji in enemy territory simply strengthens that argument. Jason Demetriou’s reign is off to a winning start, and he’ll hope his side can gain promotion into the Pacific Cup ahead of 2025, though there’s still work to be done before that becomes a possibility.

LRL RECOMMENDS: Super League duo beam over flying Papua New Guinea flag following Dream Team inclusions

2. Australia (Men) – NEW

The Kangaroos have won 12 of the 16 Rugby League World Cups to date for a reason. They’re the top dogs in the men’s game, and know how to win, as simple as that sounds. Mal Meninga’s new-look side weren’t at their best against Tonga on Friday, but earned an 18-0 success to kickstart their Pacific Cup campaign with a victory. Just 14 defeats in 108 games since the millennium!

1. Australia (Women) – NEW

Australia Women
The Jillaroos celebrate a try during their big win against Papua New Guinea

Their counterparts, the Jillaroos, take top spot in our Power Rankings after that 84-0 thumping of Papua New Guinea on Friday in Brisbane. That dismantling, with SEVENTEEN tries scored, brought a 15th victory in their last 16 full internationals, and saw winger Julia Robinson cross the whitewash a record six times. An absolutely phenomenal start to their Pacific Cup campaign.

LRL RECOMMENDS: Broadcast information for England’s first Test against Samoa on Sunday confirmed

International Australia

Related Articles