Co-hosts PNG, NZ win World Cup openers

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) New Zealand and Papua New Guinea joined co-hosts Australia in making winning starts to the Rugby League World Cup, posting emphatic victories Saturday over Wales and Samoa.

After Australia beat England 18-4 in the opening match of the tournament in Melbourne on Friday, Papua New Guinea posted its largest-ever test victory in beating Wales 50-6 in Port Moresby, while New Zealand beat Samoa 38-8 in Auckland.

The wins ensured the three host nations have placed themselves atop their pools at the end of the tournament's opening weekend.

Captain David Mead scored three tries, including two inside the first 10 minutes, to launch Papua New Guinea to its record win over Wales.

Backrower Rhyse Martin, of the Canterbury Bulldogs in the Australian NRL, scored two second-half tries and kicked five goals for a record individual tally of 18 points to help the Kumuls to their largest-ever win in an international match and consign Wales to its heaviest World Cup loss.

Shaun Johnson scored one try and created three more with kicks as New Zealand overcame a slow start to beat Samoa by seven tries to two.

Johnson's try and another to Jordan Rapana helped New Zealand to a shaky 10-4 lead after a first half in which in completed only 53 percent of tackle sets.

He then produced pin-point kicks which created three tries within nine minutes and gave New Zealand a 26-4 lead midway through the second half.

Johnson first kicked for Brad Takairangi who stripped the ball from Samoa's first half tryscorer Ken Maumalo for New Zealand's first try of the second half. He then threaded a brilliant kick through the Samoa defense to make a try for Kodi Nikorima and contributed again to a 55th minute try to Isaac Lui.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck scored after a break and inside pass from Nikorima and 21-year-old Melbourne Storm star Nelson Asofa-Solomona scored on his test debut in the 72nd minute.

Samoa, which played boldly but was outgunned, had the consolation of a last-minute try to Joseph Paulo.

Mead touched down in the fifth and ninth minutes to give Papua New Guinea a flying start to their first-ever home match in a World Cup. By halftime they had five tries, held a 26-0 lead, and Wales had already missed 29 tackles and was gasping in the intense heat.

The pace of scoring didn't let up in the second half. Martin kicked his first four shots at goal then had his first try only three minutes after the re-start.

He touched down again nine minutes later as Papua New Guinea ran riot in front of a capacity crowd at the National Football Stadium.

Mead scored his third try in the 59th minute, becoming the first Papua New Guinea player to score a hat trick of tries in a test match. Martin missed three of eight shots at goal but still finished with the highest individual score by a Kumuls player in tests.

Papua New Guinea was able to cut the Wales defense to ribbons around the ruck, where they failed to mark up, and then out wide as they became increasingly leg-weary in sapping heat. Wales still showed some spirit, scoring the last try of the match through Regan Grace after the fulltime siren.

After Mead's explosive beginning, Papua New Guinea ran in tries to Nene McDonald, Kato Otio and Wellington Albert to set up its large halftime lead. Albert ended the game under a cloud, however, after being accused of biting. He was placed on report.

Martin's double lifted Papua New Guinea to a 36-0 lead and it increased the margin with tries to Justin Olam, Mead and veteran Paul Aiton.

Three teams from each of Group A (Australia, England, France, Lebanon) and Group B (New Zealand, Samoa, Scotland and Tonga) will advance to the quarterfinals along with the winning teams from Group C (Papua New Guinea, Ireland, Wales) and Group D (Fiji, United States, Italy).

On Sunday Ireland plays Italy while France takes on Lebanon, and Scotland plays Tonga.