League: Aussie into final

Greg Inglis of Australia scores a try during the Four Nations match between the Australian Kangaroos and Samoa. Photo / Getty Images.

A Greg Inglis-inspired Australia have moved through to the Four Nations final against the Kiwis after sweeping aside Samoa 44-18 in Wollongong this afternoon.

Man of the match Inglis and halfback Cooper Cronk both scored doubles in the convincing win. Australia will now meet New Zealand in the tournament decider in Wellington on Saturday.

Samoa had been highly competitive in their losses to England and New Zealand, but the Australians blew them off the park in the first half in an impressive five-tries-to-one effort before 18,456 fans to lead 28-6 at the break.

The contest was more even in the second half with the Kangaroos scoring three-tries-to-two, but by then the damage had been done.

Cronk opened the scoring in the second minute on the back of an Inglis bust, before the superstar fullback crossed himself in the 11th, after a series of offloads.

Inglis went over again in the 26th minute from a Cronk pass, to move to ahead of Bob Fulton to fourth on the all-time scoring list for Australia with 27 tries. In between fullback Tim Simona opened Samoa's account when he beat Cameron Smith and Aaron Woods from close range in the 20th minute.

Five-eighth Daly Cherry-Evans then added to Samoa's misery in the 31st minute when he dummied his way through their defensive line from a scrum and raced 70m to score. A long ball from Cameron Smith put David Klemmer over for his first Test try in his second game to increase Australia's lead to 22 points.

Ben Roberts gave Samoa - who needed to win by nine points or more to make the final - some hope when he danced through the Australian line in the 47th minute, only for Cronk to respond with his second in the 62nd minute.

David Fa'alogo scored for the visitors in the 69th minute before Josh Papalii boosted Australia's tally when he crashed over seven minutes later. Josh Mansour scored his first Test try in the shadows of fulltime.

Earlier, New Zealand defeated Australia in the women's test curtain raiser 12-8.

-AAP