Australia will face New Zealand in the Four Nations final next week after knocking England out of the tournament with a convincing 18-point win.
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Five second-half tries blew the home nation out of the park to finish off the group stages and send the Kangaroos through to the final undefeated.
England needed a win or a draw to book their spot in the final, but lost their legs in the second 40 to let the Aussies run home with all the momentum.
The game started out well for England after staving off some early aggression from Australia to get the first points on the board thanks to a Gareth Widdop penalty goal.
Johnathan Thurston would hit back with two-points of his own, but England again took the front foot with the opening try of the contest, taking control of the opening half an hour.
Blake Ferguson would make the English pay for errors in their own half, crossing the line just before halftime against the run of play.
The Kangaroos took a slender lead into the break following a tense opening half with the game still in the balance.
It would all open up in the second though, with tired legs and poor defence opening the game right up at both ends.
There were seven tries between the two sides in the second half.
Greg Inglis was rewarded for a stellar game with a try just after the break, before setting up another through Matt Scott just ten minutes later to push away from the English and create a big lead.
A Cooper Cronk dummy and line break off the subsequent kickoff was finished off by Josh Dugan to cap off two tries in as many minutes and sink the English hopes.
Sam Burgess and David Klemmer got in a scuffle late in the contest after Matt Gillett scored inside the final ten minutes, with Burgess even landing a punch and opening up Klemmer’s melon.
Widdop and try-scoring machine Ryan Hall would find consolation four-pointers late in the game, but it just wasn’t enough and they could only watch as their tournament came to an end.
Rugby Fan
Roar Guru
Not great news for the code in this country. This series had a slightly higher press profile, because Sam Burgess featured. Before he moved to union, Burgess was not much known outside league circles, but now other sports fans in Britain were curious to see what impact he could have in his preferred code. The 2-1 win over NZ last year also raised hopes that we might be able to mix it at the highest level. There's a sense of deflation after such a comprehensive loss, and no immediate fixture to put things back on track.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Wrong. The Kiwis only got a leg up on Australia because they were playing excellent rugby league. Otherwise you'd have to admit that prior, Australia has only dominated because they've been playing amateurs for so long...
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
The twins have been very disappointing for mine.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Coincidentally the same period when rugby league in Australia decided that staring at and admiring its own walls was the best thing for the code. Rugby league in the UK doesn't have talent issues it has structural ones, ones exacerbated by navel admiring, in both hemispheres.
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
Chook To be honest , State of Origin is so good and such a spectacle , most things pale into insignificance as a comparison . Who gives a stuff if League is not an international game , AFL and NFL aren't and they are massively supported games in thier own right . Speak to any foreigners in Australia and they revel about how tough, skilful and uncompromising League is - the NRL is the showpiece , the jewel in the crown of League - the Aussies own it .
Chook
Guest
Yes I totally agree...he probably got them to watch the Sharks final series games as inspiration but you have to be fit to play at that intensity and they seemed worn out by the 50 minute mark
Chook
Guest
We don't want to own it....How does that make our game a world game. How does it even improve its chances of survival when we are having trouble competing with AFL
Les Boyd's Elbow
Guest
England's 2016 WC Squad should look something like this: 1. Sam Tomkins/Jonny Lomax 2. Germaine McGilvary 3. Kallum Watkins 4. Mark Percival/Dan Sarginson 5. Ryan Hall 6. George Williams 7. Jonny Lomax/Mark Sneyd 8. Chris Hill 9. Josh Hodgson 10. James Graham 11. John Bateman 12. Elliot Whitehead/Sean O’Loughlin 13. Sam Burgess 14. Daryll Clarke 15. Brett Ferres 16. Sean O’Loughlin/Elliot Whitehead 17. Scott Taylor/Ben Westwood/Other forward that stands up? Can't believe Sneyd was not selected this year. Lance Todd Trophy winner and England need a general. This guys kicking game is excellent, he won the Challenge Cup for Hull this year with his boot. If he has another strong 2017 season he must be selected at halfback. George Williams has shown enough in my mind to be England's long term stand-off. He possess a strong running game, and his short kicking game is pretty good too. Depending on form Tomkins or Lomax should be the fullback, young Lomax really impressed this morning. The rest of the backs pretty much select themselves, maybe Sarginson over Percival if he has a good season with the Titans. Widdop out, so too Gurgess and Turgess. Haven't stood up this series after average seasons for Souths and will need to work very hard next year to come back into calculations. Even Surgess is a bit suspect, very error prone. Needs to get back to his 2014 form and England will be world beaters.
Jimmmy
Guest
Now I know we are certainties. Thanks Republican.
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
We have heard that conjecture for three decades - they lost and simply don't produce talented and skilful backs , it's all pie & mash gov .
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
The kiwis only got a leg up on Australia because of past injuries and scheduling . Add to that a ridicouls ranking system which makes no sense , Oz beating NZ 11/14 times and you see what a mockery it is . The natural evolution of the Kangaroos owning League is upon us .
Breakfast
Guest
If its wet then the Kiwis may get up but depends on the ref. The English ref overnight gave a trillion play the ball penalties so depending where they are and what they do with them its a lottery. Funny how the penalty count was on the screen early but then disappeared. The final is a bookies dream but they should give it to Cummins to make it close. The English ref ruined his chances by not making it close but a few cheapies towards the end allowed England to score.
souvalis
Guest
Pick a Barbarian side from those sides that played this morning..only Sam and James G. would make it.
Eden
Guest
It would be good to include the final score in a match report. I'm trying to type this without implied Internet sarcasm, but it seems impossible...i just think it should be a final quality check you do before submitting.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
I was about to say the same thing. Its not that the English cant do it its just that they dont and are more at home playing a more free flowing game, its not exactly ad lib, but flowing.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
3 actually against NZ
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
True that. The first step is to recognise the potential and then work out how to actualise it. Too many like to quote the status quo as proof of their rugby league wisdom. They're are the ones going on like broken records not realising we are in the IT era...
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
That's the thing, people look at the current situation and imagine it is permanent. But it is not.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
I can't disagree with any of that. Lomax showed a lot of poise and maturity. When he did chime in the backline he looked threatening. Perhaps because he hadn't done that in the match the Australians were taken by surprise? I don't know but I was impressed by him. Williams, when running the ball, looked great. The try he laid on for Thundercat was clean, crisp and lovely to watch. No confusion there, he did his job to a T. Widdop, I'd replace him. He has had enough chances. He just hasn't shown any if his early Test and Dragons form. I don't know v why. People have to remember that Tomkins and Hardaker weren't there. I'm a fan of Tomkins. He's got the confidence and attitude to not be intimidated by Australia or New Zealand as well as the ball skills to help with the playmaking.
kiwijack
Guest
Maybe this is the one the kiwis will actually turn up and play. All the potential in the world is no good if your attitude stinks. Joey may well be right about this and the Johnson as a 5/8 thing. As a NZer I find watching them to be both frustrating and infuriating as they go from rocks to diamonds in the space of a second.