Updated November 11, 2026 — 11:08am , first published November 10, 2026 — 1:19pm

Kalyn Ponga hopes his enthralling international rivalry with Australian counterpart Reece Walsh will be outdone in the Rugby League World Cup final.

When the New Zealand fullback and Walsh faced off at the start of the tournament, they left fans praising the duel as one of the best one-on-one battles experienced in Test football.

Both scored breathtaking individual tries, with Walsh also producing a brilliant covering tackle to prevent his opposite No.1 from crossing in the corner.

Kalyn Ponga was electric against Tonga upon his comeback from a broken arm.…