The bookmakers believe it could be a tough tournament for hosts England
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The start of the Rugby League World Cup is almost upon us, with hosts England welcoming Samoa to St James' Park in Newcastle to kick off the tournament. This year's competition is all set to be the toughest one yet, with around six teams in contention to lift the coveted trophy at Old Trafford on November 19th.
With only Cook Islands yet to announce their squad, the bookmakers have started to release their odds on who they think will take home the trophy and what teams will top their respective groups.
In Group A, Samoa are favourites to win the pool at 8/11, with England at evens in second place. Major outsiders France (250/1) and Greece (500/1) are not expected to challenge the two powerhouses. The same can be said in Group B. Australia are a whopping 1/150 on to win the group, with Fiji nailed on to come second. The bookies have New Zealand (1/200) on to win Group C, with Ireland 12/1, Lebanon 100/1 and Jamaica 125/1 all massive underdogs to topple the Kiwis.
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Finishing in Group D, which is the most open group, it will likely be won by Tonga (1/16), but the interesting odds are with the other three countries. Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands and Wales are all in contention to finish in second place, and aside from the games with Tonga, all their games will have a cup-final feel.
To win the competition, holders Australia are odds on to retain the trophy, with England the only Northern Hemisphere side in contention to challenge the Aussies, according to SkyBet. The host nation are 10/1 to win their first World Cup, with Samoa, Tonga and Fiji all having an outside chance of defying the odds.
Rugby League World Cup outright winners (SkyBet)
Australia – 1/2
New Zealand – 7/2
England – 10/1
Samoa – 11/1
Tonga – 11/1
Fiji – 50/1
Papua New Guinea – 250/1
Cook Islands – 500/1
France – 500/1
Ireland – 500/1
Italy – 750/1
Lebanon – 750/1
Scotland – 750/1
Wales – 750/1
Greece – 2000/1
Jamaica – 2000/1
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