Valentine Holmes has scored a record five tries for the Kangaroos who have sounded an ominous warning to rival nations with a 46-0 trouncing of Samoa in their Rugby League World Cup quarter-final.
Coach Mal Meninga wanted his team to entertain on Friday night, and Australia treated the sellout 13,473 crowd in Darwin with an impressive eight-try rout to move into the final four.
The Kangaroos will move to Brisbane to face New Zealand or Fiji.
Holmes broke the Australian record for most tries in a Test, surpassing eight players on four, including teammate Wade Graham who achieved the feat two weeks ago.
Michael Morgan scored a first-half double, while Billy Slater also went on the scoresheet in what was easily Australia’s best attacking display of the tournament.
Samoa bow out after a disastrous campaign, having failed to win any of their pool games and showing little resistance to Australia’s full force at a humid TIO Stadium.
The Kangaroos’ highlights reel will be led by Holmes’ 90-metre effort for his first try, as well as him finishing a team 60-metre movement for his fourth.
The right winger etched his name in the record books with a dazzling run on the opposite side of the field in the 76th minute.
The avalanche began in the ninth minute, when Holmes was the beneficiary of a dubious Josh Dugan tapback from a Cooper Cronk kick.
Holmes’ second was far more impressive, breaking out of a tackle on his 10-metre line and offloading for Cronk before getting the ball back and racing away for a long-range try.
Slater rejoined Jarryd Hayne as leading tryscorer in World Cup history off a set play. Morgan clinched his two tries in the space of five minutes.
First, the Kangaroos’ five-eighth sliced through some soft defence in the 31st minute, before he won the race to a Cameron Smith grubber with no Samoan defender in sight.
Peter
Guest
1. No, Ireland and Lebanon did not pick players only from the NRL, as you would know if you bothered to read readily available team information. 2. All teams were selected in accordance with the published rules for the tournament, which are pretty much the same as for any international competition in any sport. Whether or not Australia selects on the same basis as other countries is immaterial. 3. Any profits will be managed in accordance with the pre-agreed criteria. Thank you for your valued input.
Maestro
Guest
I was all for neutral refs but that Pom had no idea - big Friday night game and all the penalties go the leading team - what - does he have no idea of drama and the underdog. remember when Russell Smith was the big English ref who reffed here but after he reffed a few floggings they paid him off by making him a video ref - they are too honest
Maestro
Guest
"Wales got thrashed by using their own home talent" - when Britain lef the EU did they annex Yorkshire???
Duncan Smith
Guest
Mark, I disagreed with you the first time, but you slowly wore me down through repetition and I now see that you're right.
Nat
Roar Guru
I can't help but wonder if Holmes' bid to play FB is a prestige/money thing because he is so good on the wing. Esy enough on the end of a class backline but some of his efforts last night, in Origin and for the Sharks are phenomenal. Not 100% defensively but he is playing outside Dugan, another FB not a centre, communication can be an issue. Otherwise, an obvious game plan by Mal and executed perfectly by Smith. From his first 3rd tackle kick in the first few sets, turning the Samoan big boys around and it told within the first 30mins. Papalii played well I thought. Funny to watch the inside ball for the Slater try. Papa could see it coming but stopping it is another thing all together. It was an ominous warning to the rest that the Aussies are starting to put it together.
Albo
Guest
Great performance by the Aussies who applied themselves to the task against a very ordinary Samoa. The BIG 3 of Smith, Cronk & Slater had a picnic controlling the show with Val Holmes this time being the major beneficiary with his 5 tries. The Aussies have yet to be tested but the competition for places in the team and the management of Meninga off field and the big 3 on the field, indicate that there is unlikely to be any slip up in their quest for another World Cup. The other feature for me was another good performance by pommie referee Phil Bentham who again got all decisions correct as he remained up with the play and maintained control all night in trying conditions. He is the best referee in this tournament for mine.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Blowouts are part and parcel of sports. Samoa 'should' have had a better tournament than they did but that's how it goes. I think your idea of nations using more local talent getting more funding than heritage teams is a reasonable one.
pillga
Guest
i thought we had to have heritage player so teams like Samoa would be competitive, any time someone brings up this contemptuous farce all we here are screams of a thrashings does no one any good Yet this world cup has had plenty of thrashings so where do we go from here.At least Wales and France got thrashed by with their own home grown talent i admire them more than Lebanon or Ireland who picked heritage players only. The $7m profit is embarrassing small and will go nowhere when spread over the next 4 years but i think countries who picked local talent should get funding over those that took the soft option of picking from the NRL or super league
andrew
Guest
Australia by 40 and Ben Roberts would be terrible - it wasn't hard to predict. That said Samoa were dreadful but not as bad as the statistician was telling you on the coverage. He threw up at one point the completion rate of Australia as 1 from 3 although they completed their first five sets, and at about the 20 minute mark had Samoa at 5from 11, even though they only ended up with 11 sets the entire first half. My only comment on where Aust should improve is that all tournament they have been attacking left - Graham scored his four to the left and last night only one try was worked to the right. It is a bit predictable in games which are predictable
Mark
Guest
Not a Melbourne or a Queensland fan but you're right, all 3 are impeccable - skill, performance, and attitude - on and off the field ...
Mark
Guest
Not a Melbourne or a Queensland fan but you're right, all 3 are impeccable - skill, performance, and attitude - on and off the field ...
Mark
Guest
Not a Melbourne or a Queensland fan but you're right, all 3 are impeccable - skill, performance, and attitude - on and off the field ...
Mark
Guest
Not a Melbourne or a Queensland fan but you're right, all 3 are impeccable - skill, performance, and attitude - on and off the field ...
Mark
Guest
Not a Melbourne or a Queensland fan but you're right, all 3 are impeccable - skill, performance, and attitude - on and off the field ...
Dave Tekani
Guest
The difference and reason why the Kangaroos and Queensland on and Melbourne will continue to be successful is S C B Smith Cronk Slater probably the greatest spine ever in our great game Control,vision,smart,1 percenters,Big moments,Humble,TEAM,are what they provide every time they run onto the feild weather its training or a Saturday night absolutely incredible.Smith the greatest ever to play lockyer 2nd,Slater the greatest ever fullback Cronk top 5 Halves.Thanku Thanku Thanku 4 changing our game and improving the men arround you.