Australia's 44-12 win over Samoa was its strongest performance of the tournament, and the better team ultimately prevailed.
But the result did not erase legitimate questions about referee Adam Gee's decisions, after Shaun Johnson criticised the officiating following Sunday night's match.
Johnson said Samoa had not been "given a fair shot", a view the writer considered understandable given several contentious calls against the team.
Samoa's poor discipline and weak defence also contributed to the defeat, but the writer argued the score could have looked very different if some close calls had gone Samoa's way.
The writer also objected to Samoa's fiery pre-match Siva Tau, saying players clearly entered the Kangaroos' personal space.