'A great stage for us': Kumuls target RLWC26 semi-finals

Kumuls coach Jason Demetriou and his team are aiming for World Cup history as they seek to build on their success in the Pacific Bowl and reach the semi-finals at RLWC26.

The Kumuls have achieved victory in the Pacific Bowl for three consecutive years, and now they aspire to become the first Papua New Guinea team to advance to a World Cup semi-final.

To achieve this goal, they must secure at least two victories in their matches against England, Samoa, and Lebanon, with two of these games taking place at home in Port Moresby.

Belonging to Group C, Papua New Guinea is alongside Tonga and France, but they will not face those teams. Instead, teams from Pool B and Pool C will compete against each other rather than within their own pools.

The top two teams from a combined table of Pool B and Pool C will move on to the semi-finals, alongside the top two from Pool A, which consists of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Cook Islands.

The Kumuls are set to host Lebanon on October 17 and Samoa on October 24, before heading to Wollongong to play against England on October 30.

With the Papua New Guinea Chiefs preparing to join the NRL in 2028, the Kumuls are becoming increasingly robust. Demetriou will have at least five members of his squad at London Broncos next season, which serves as a significant boost for PNG's World Cup preparations.