Australia and Samoa will clash for the second spot in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup final on Sunday evening in Sydney.
Kick-off is set for 8:05pm (AEDT) at Allianz Stadium, and you can follow live scores, updates and commentary in Zero Tackle's live blog.
Australia have gone through the group stage undefeated, having knocked over New Zealand in a shaky tournament opener, before taking care of Fiji and the Cook Islands.
That means they face Samoa, who hammered France and Papua New Guinea, but came up just short in an emotion charged clash with Tonga last Sunday.
The winner will face New Zealand in Brisbane next Sunday evening for the tournament's trophy, with the Kiwis knocking over Tonga in the other semi-final at Newcastle's McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday evening.
As it happened: New Zealand vs Tonga
Scroll down for live commentary of the game. This blog will automatically refresh every two minutes.
For live stats and scores, you can check out our match centre.
HALFTIME - Australia 26 - Samoa 2
Not much more action in the first half, and it's all Australia at halftime.
Back in 15 with more.
37' - Australia 26 - Samoa 2 - CONVERSION SUCCESSFUL, CAMERON MUNSTER
Munster refinds his range off the kicking tee.
37' - Australia 24 - Samoa 2 - SIN BIN SPENCER LENIU
Leniu has said something to Adam Gee, and is given his marching orders. Wow. He has a brain snap in him.
37' - Australia 24 - Samoa 2 - TRY AUSTRALIA, BRADMAN BEST
Australia are over again. Cameron Murray simply not fair through the middle, setting up a slide to the left that puts Bradman Best through the line for a try.
35' - Australia 20 - Samoa 2
Ugly. Luai upends Bostock in a dangerous spear and winds up on report after the two teams get into a push and shove. Both captains given a bit of a dressing down here.
34' - Australia 20 - Samoa 2 - CONVERSION MISSED
Munster misses another.
33' - Australia 20 - Samoa 2 - TRY AUSTRALIA, REECE WALSH
Australia in again. Looked slow going left, but then Walsh just makes something out of nothing and runs through the line to score.
30' - Australia 16 - Samoa 2
Samoa are in, but there will be plenty to check here. A bomb goes up from 40 out, Manuleleua, who is surely offside, then also appears to knock on in the challenge before Crichton scores.
They rule Manuleleua onside, but he has certainly knocked on in the air.
27' - Australia 16 - Samoa 2
Quick report in from Leo Twemlow, who is in the press box for us at Moore Park this evening. The crowd is intense, loud, vocal and boisterous, with Samoan fans outnumbering Australians.
26' - Australia 16 - Samoa 2
Munster misses.
25' - Australia 16 - Samoa 2 - TRY AUSTRALIA, TOM TRBOJEVIC
Australia go right, then left, and Best is almost over, but Samoa scramble again. They go back to the right and a wonderful bit of work through the middle from Dearden sets up Trbojevic to score in the corner.
24' - Australia 12 - Samoa 2
Ah dear. Leniu drops it cold now and Australia will come straight back on to the attack.
23' - Australia 12 - Samoa 2
Australia get in to bombing position again here. It goes up and Murray looks to make a play at it, with the ball then being batted with Trbojevic then looking to put down in the corner, only to be knocked in to touch by a scrambling Fa'alogo.
Bunker will prove Murray got a touch on it, so Samoa with a restart 25 out from their own line.
21' - Australia 12 - Samoa 2
Fair to say Samoa have to be next to score, and they won't die wondering here as they go left, then right, before McEwen bounces off a few and goes over halfway. Manuleleua follows up with Luai bombing from 40 out. Walsh and Tabuai-Fidow in an aerial challenge, but Australia win a penalty for Samoa's chase being offside.
20' - Australia 12 - Samoa 2
Monster kick from Reece Walsh. Has to do it off his own 30-metre line, and gets To'o to bring it back off the goal line. Incredibly good kick.
19' - Australia 12 - Samoa 2
Samoa need to make something of this attacking set, and they do, forcing a drop out, but Australia go short and get a result. Tom Trbojevic ruled to touch it after it broke the plane.
18' - Australia 12 - Samoa 2
Australia go with an early kick to turn Samoa around here, and after a set from Samoa, a great tackle forcing an error from Bradman Best will allow Samoa back on to the attack.
16' - Australia 12 - Samoa 2 - CONVERSION SUCCESSFUL, CAMERON MUNSTER
Samoa were so good last week at getting up in the face of Tonga in defence. Way too much backpedalling going on tonight.
Munster converts again and this is threatening to get ugly already.
15' - Australia 10 - Samoa 2 - TRY AUSTRALIA, JACOB PRESTON
Weight of possession building in a big way for Australia and it will pay dividends. Koloamatangi with an offload at the posts, they shuffle left and Preston cuts back in on an angle to find a gap that he crashes through to score.
Samoa being blown off the park here by a Kangaroos side who finally appear to have found their mojo.
14' - Australia 6 - Samoa 2
Australia work it through the middle here with Koloamatangi attacking the posts halfway through the count. They attack right again but this time Samoa are equal to it, but give away six more tackles in the work on Staggs.
13' - Australia 6 - Samoa 2
Samoa go with a short drop out in to the wing and it doesn't go the distance. Australia with a big chance to extend the scoreline.
12' - Australia 6 - Samoa 2
Australia find themselves back on the attack here after Samoa give away a penalty, with Samoa scrambling in defence out to the right-hand side. Tom Trbojevic cuts back inside and scrambles a grubber through with Francis Molo mopping up. Drop out forced.
9' - Australia 6 - Samoa 2
Samoa have been physical, but the signs are a little ominous here. They need a calming set with the ball in hand after a strong one following points from the Kangaroos.
8' - Australia 6 - Samoa 2 - CONVERSION SUCCESSFUL, CAMERON MUNSTER
No mistake for Munster.
8' - Australia 4 - Samoa 2 - TRY AUSTRALIA, TOM DEARDEN
That has come from nothing. Australia straight off the scrum, Dearden goes to the line, shows it, runs himself and goes straight through.
Soft from a Samoan side who defended so gallantly last weekend.
7' - Australia 0 - Samoa 2
This is an issue for Samoa. Stephen Crichton drops it coming out of trouble.
Captain's challenge thrown in. They believe there has been a strip. Crichton blowing up here.
No stripping action though, so Samoa burn their challenge 7 minutes in.
7' - Australia 0 - Samoa 2
Fa'asuamaleaui with a strong run at the end of this set for Australia that gets them to halfway. Bomb on the last, Bostock comes down with it, but can't hang on to it.
Bostock against To'o is a real worry for Samoa tonight, but he hangs on there.
6' - Australia 0 - Samoa 2
Samoa put together a strong set after points. Almost to halfway with Luai then able to run before he kicks down towards Trbojevic. Strong kick chase meets him too.
5' - Australia 0 - Samoa 2 - PENALTY GOAL SAMOA, STEPHEN CRICHTON
Crichton makes no mistake and Australia pay for their lack of discipline early doors.
3' - Australia 0 - Samoa 0
Toa Samoa on the attack. Not much on display early, but then a six-again turns in to a penalty with the ball coming free - Australia were offside.
Right in front, inside 10. Samoa will take a shot at penalty goal for first points.
2' - Australia 0 - Samoa 0
Samoa back to halfway. They get themselves a six-again, and with McEwen staying down, replay show Fa'asuamaleaui has hit him high.
Penalty Samoa, McEwen, who has been tremendous all tournament, off for a HIA, and Fa'asuamaleaui on the attack.
Samoa to go on the attack.
1' - Australia 0 - Samoa 0
No surprise to see the first set is rather physical. Solid enough from Australia and they manage to kick down to the corner.
0' - Australia 0 - Samoa 0
Samoa to kick-off.
8:07pm (AEDT)
The first few minutes of this are going to be pretty special. Samoa just walked right in to Australia's personal space to perform the Siva Tau.
Tino and To'o were essentially butting heads. Tevaga squared right up to Bostock.
Here we go.
7:55pm (AEDT)
Teams on their way out - and my earlier comment has jinxed it. Rain is now falling.
We will have a minute's silence for Paul Langmack, followed by the anthems and pre-game here.
7:40pm (AEDT)
Crowd building nicely in Sydney. Kick-off just 25 minutes away.
7:30pm (AEDT)
A bit of a scare for the Jillaroos earlier on - they wind up getting the job done against Fiji, but trailed in the first half. They will need to be a lot better in the final next week against New Zealand.
7:12pm (AEDT)
Well, last night we of course saw Tonga get rolled by New Zealand - not through a lack of effort as it turns out. Samoa will aim to give an equally strong count of themselves tonight, although it's clear Australia are the favourites, with the tournament heading towards the Kangaroos and Kiwis final that it was ultimately set up for.
7:10pm (AEDT)
Final teams are in. Keaon Koloamatangi starts at prop for Australia, sending Patrick Carrigan back tpo the bench, while Latrell Mitchell and Sam Walker are included on the six-man bench - no room for James Tedesco.
Jazz Tevaga starts at dummy half for Samoa with Benaiah Ioelu back to the bench in an otherwise as named team.
7:05pm (AEDT)
A windy old day in Sydney, but that is weakening as kick-off approaches, with an otherwise dry and pleasant evening expected. Temperature in the high teens at the moment.
7pm (AEDT)
Hello, Good Evening and Welcome to Zero Tackle's live coverage of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup semi-finals as Australia take on Samoa for the second spot in the final from Sydney's Allianz Stadium. Scott Pryde here to take you through all the action.
