Australia looked well on the way to an eighth straight Rugby League World Cup title after demolishing England 52-4 in their pool match at Melbourne's Telstra Dome last night.
After trouncing New Zealand - the other side expected to challenge them for the crown - the Kangaroos again looked a class above as they ran in nine tries to one, Storm pair Greg Inglis and Billy Slater delighting their home fans with hat-tricks.
The win all but assures the Kangaroos - provided they don't slip up against Papua New Guinea next Sunday - top spot heading into the semi-finals, but it hardly seems to matter who else qualifies for the final four with another World Cup appearing a formality for the home side.
After their win over Papua New Guinea on Saturday night, the Kiwis will play England to see how finishes second in the group in Newcastle this saturday night.
The top 3 from the group go into the play-offs.
