#162: 2030 Rugby League World Cup in HAWAII?! Huge Changes Explained and Were Samoa Robbed?

In this week’s episode of the League Express Podcast, Editor Martyn Sadler and Host Jake Kearnan break down all the action and talking points from the men’s and women’s Rugby League World Cup semi-finals.

They start with the controversial clash between Australia and Samoa, debating whether Samoa were robbed of a place in the final and discussing Spencer Leniu’s sin-binning for dissent. 

They also analyse New Zealand’s impressive performance against Tonga, questioning whether the wet-weather conditions played a part in limiting Tonga’s chances of reaching the final.

Away from the action, Martyn and Jake discuss some major news surrounding the future of the Rugby League World Cup. Could the 2030 tournament adopt a Magic Round-style format, with matches staged across multiple locations including Hawaii and Utah? They also examine plans for a 12-team World Cup and the proposed extension of the heritage eligibility rule to include great-grandparents. Is this the right direction for international Rugby League?

The pair also discuss the NRL's investment in French Rugby League, France's proposed tour of the Pacific next year and the latest developments in the ongoing NRL–RFL negotiations.

Finally, they look ahead to this weekend's men's and women's Rugby League World Cup finals, discussing the match-ups and giving their predictions.