RLWC England v Samoa best bets & top odds – October 16, 2022

The 2022 Rugby League World Cup kicks off in England this Sunday (12:30am AEDT) with the host nation taking on Samoa in Newcastle.

The Brits are given little chance to win according to the punters as they sit on the third line of betting to keep the World Cup in England, while Samoa ranks among the most underrated teams in the world. Both sides are littered with NRL and Super League talent, but who can gel together best to kick off their Rugby League World Cup campaign with a win?

England have named captain Sam Tomkins in the fullback role with NRL stars Herbie Farnworth, Victor Radley and Elliot Whitehead in the starting side along with renowned hardman John Bateman and also George Williams at halfback. Samoa will be expected to name a side featuring 2022 NRL Grand Final winners Jarome Luai, Brian To’o, Izack Tago and Stephen Crichton along with Joseph Suaalii and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.

Such is the calibre of the Samoan side that is expected to take the field, they are $1.58 favourites with BetOnline to take down England. Samoa have speed, strength and raw talent throughout their squad and will be expected to be a contender in the back end of the competition. However, England will certainly be up for the fight and Samoa will likely start a bit slow as they find cohesion in their side. Nevertheless, the favourites should cover the -3.5 match line.

Suaalii is one of the most highly touted up-and-coming players in the rugby league world. We got a glimpse of him at fullback for the Roosters in the back end of the 2022 NRL season, and for all the talent he has, his running game is his greatest asset. His speed, size and strength make him bigger than some forwards in rugby league. Samoa should look to take advantage of Suaalii’s strengths and set simple plays where he receives the ball running into the line at full pace. Should Suaalii get in this position, he will be guaranteed to score a try.

With players like Bateman, Whitehead, Radley and Luke Thompson in the English side, it’s expected their success will be built on defence. Factor this into what could be a slow start offensively for the Samoan side, and rain predicted in Newcastle for this clash, and points could be hard to come by. Look for this to be a low-scoring affair that goes under 40.5 total points.

Key matchup: George Williams vs Anthony Milford

The battle between these two halfbacks will likely decide the outcome of this match. Anthony Milford has strengths in his kicking and running games but is not highly regarded as a game-managing halfback. George Williams, on the other hand, played a key role in leading the Canberra Raiders the 2019 NRL Grand Final with his smart string-pulling. Especially if inclement weather descends on Newcastle, the kicking and game management of these two players will be imperative to leading their sides around the park and getting into the right spots to score. Should Milford not step up to the plate, Williams could have a huge game and lead England to a win.

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