KANGAROOS captain Isaah Yeo is bracing to face the best Kiwis team ever assembled in the World Cup opener at Allianz Stadium on October 15, but he believes five or six nations are capable of winning the Paul Barrière Trophy.

Yeo is well placed to discuss the merits of the other leading nations as Australia met Samoa in the final of the last World Cup in 2022, suffered a record 30-0 defeat by New Zealand in the 2023 Pacific Cup final, held off Tonga 20-14 in the 2024 decider and won last year’s Ashes series against England.

The 2024 IRL Golden Boot winner also believes Fiji are flying under the radar after qualifying for the semi-finals of the 2008, 2013 and 2017 World Cups, and losing the quarter-final against New Zealand in 2022 after a late Joey Manu try.

However, Yeo’s immediate focus as captain of Australia is the opening match in Sydney which pits last year’s Ashes winners against the Pacific Cup champions in a mouthwatering start to the World Cup.

“I think it will be one of the greatest - if not the greatest - New Zealand side ever put together,” Yeo said.

“You look at their forward pack and there is not one chink in the armour. Their bench is going to be phenomenal. They've got some real class on the edges. I just think they're the whole package.”

Led by James Fisher-Harris, Kiwis coach Stacey Jones will have to choose between Joseph Tapine, Moses Leota, Erin Clark, Naufuha Whyte, Xavier Willison, Leo Thompson, Jack Williams and Tanner Stowers-Smith for his other starting prop, lock and bench middles.

Photo: Erin Clark and Naufuha Whyte are among the in-form middles vying for spots in the Kiwis forward pack. @NRL Photos

Briton Nikora, Isaiah Papali’i, Scott Sorensen and Willison are the main secondrow contenders.

The battle for the hooking role is set to be just as strongly contested, with Jeremy Marshall-King, Phoenix Crossland and Brandon Smith all in good form, while Wayde Egan is considering making himself available for New Zealand on residency grounds.

Kalyn Ponga has already pledged his allegiance to New Zealand and will fight for the fullback spot with Keano Kini and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who could also play centre or wing – although the Kiwis also have depth in those positions behind Jamayne Isaako, Ronaldo Mulitalo and Casey McLean.

Despite losing star playmaker Dylan Brown, the Kiwis have Jahrome Hughes, Kodi Nikorima and Te Maire Martin as halves options.

“I have no doubt that the World Cup organisers put that game on first on purpose, and rightly so,” Yeo said.

“The history around that rivalry is everything you could want at the start of a World Cup. I just think that's the perfect way to start the World Cup for both sides, and for us to see where we are at.”

Since losing to the Kiwis in the 2008 World Cup final, the Kangaroos have won in 2013, 2017 and 2022 but Yeo concedes this will be their toughest challenge, with Samoa and Tonga now rivalling the big three of Australia, New Zealand and England.

‘Over the last four or five years, I think we have versed all the teams that are all believers that they can win the World Cup, and we've also seen that they have got better and better building towards this tournament,” Yeo said.

“We’ve seen it with Samoa and it’s the same with Tonga, the same with England, who would be disappointed off the back of the Ashes, and the same with New Zealand, who - as I said - are about to put on the park the greatest ever Kiwis side.

“I think it’s a wonderful challenge, not just for us but all those other teams with how competitive it is going to be.

“That's why I'm so excited for it, and it's going to have so many different fan bases with eyes on it; there’s going to be so much media around it, so much pressure – externally and internally - and that is exactly what the World Cup deserves because it is the pinnacle of the game.”

Photo: Kangaroos captain Isaah Yeo lifts the Ashes trophy after last year's series win in England. @SWPix

Yeo has never played against Fiji as he only debuted for Australia in 2022 but the Panthers lock played alongside Bati stars Viliame Kikau, Api Koroisau and Sunia Turuva in premiership winning teams and he predicted they would also be a force at the World Cup.

Under coach Mick Potter, who has recently returned to the job, the Bati eliminated New Zealand in the quarter-finals of the 2017 World Cup in Wellington.

Fiji are aiming to beat Cook Islands in their opening match at McDonald Jones Stadium on October 18 and either the Kangaroos at Suncorp Stadium on October 2 or the Kiwis at Cbus Super Stadium on November 1 to reach the semi-finals.

“I think they're one of the teams that are probably flying under the radar. They've got some wonderful players and some of the absolute elite players for their positions in the NRL,” Yeo said.

“I don't think their performances at the last World Cup got spoken about enough. They pushed New Zealand in that game and fought for every chance at the back end, I thought.

“What I'm most proud about is those boys that I played with, they are leaders in that environment. They're the culture setters in the way they prepare. I'm very grateful I was able to sort of share the field with them but I'm sure I won't like it that much against them.”

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