<p>We’re now down to the third and final round of the 2025 Rugby League Pacific Championships.</p> <p>The Cook Islands’ tournament has been run and won and although they were brave in both their battles, their double dose of defeat means they are ineligible for the title of Pacific Bowl champions.</p> <p>In the Pacific Bowl, the top-ranked team after the pool games is crowned the winner, with no official final scheduled.</p> <p>In a dramatic turn of events, both PNG and Fiji are the two of the three teams still eligible to finish as the top ranked team, both sitting on one win each.</p> <p>That means the winner of their round 3 matchup will take out the Pacific Bowl title, making it an unofficial final.</p> <p>Proceedings are a little different in the tier 1 Pacific Cup. They get a final to decide who lifts the trophy and as it stands all three nations are still alive entering the final round.</p> <p>It’s Tonga who are the ones in the most danger of missing out on the big after copping a Samoan smackdown at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.</p> <p>That 28-point loss has left their for and against in tatters, meaning they need a monster showing against the Kiwis to bust into the big one. Can they do it?</p> <p>For all the latest news, analysis, odds, and betting tips for that match as well as the final Pacific Bowl fixture, check out our expert Rugby League Pacific Championships Round 3 tips and predictions below.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Papua New Guinea Kumuls vs Fiji Bati Prediction</h2> <p><em><strong>Saturday, November 1, 3:00pm AEST – Santos National Football Stadium</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In a crazy turn of events both PNG’s and Fiji’s wins over the Cook Islands finished with aggregate scores of exactly 68 points.</p> <p>First Fiji saw them off 44-24, before PNG got the best of them 40-28. What does that mean for this match up? Do we have a 132-point epic loading? Probably not.</p> <p>Still though, it’s clear both of these teams love to chuck the footy around and aren’t exactly obsessed with working off the ball.</p> <p>With the likes of Robert Derby, Zac Laybutt and soon to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/nrl/news/most-nrl-tries">all-time record NRL try scorer</a> Alex Johnston going up against Sunia Turuva, Michael Jennings and Tigers’ tearaway Jahream Bula, the scorecard really could read anything at full-time of this one.</p> <p>If Fiji wants to get home here, Bula will have to be the difference. The young fullback ran in four tries on his own, in the first half of their first game of these Championships and the Bati faithful will be hoping for a repeat performance up in Port Moresby.</p> <p>For the Kumuls, they’ll come to count on the raucous home crowd awaiting at Santos National Football Stadium, as they always do when they play at home.</p> <p>That just might be enough to get them across the line too, particularly with the ultra-talented Lachlan Lam pulling the string and tryscoring freak Johnston finishing off their moves.</p> <p><strong>Head-to-head prediction: </strong><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/rugby-league/international-matches/papua-new-guinea-v-fiji-9782161">PNG Kumuls.</a></p> <p><strong>Betting tip: </strong>SGM – Over total match points, Jahream Bula first try scorer and Alex Johnston anytime try scorer.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>New Zealand Kiwis vs Tonga XIII Prediction</h2> <p><em><strong>Sunday, November 2, 3:05pm AEST – Eden Park</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Can Tonga turn it around after being blown out of the water by Samoa in their Pacific Championships opener last Sunday?</p> <p>They’ll have to be much, much better than they were in that encounter when they head to the cauldron that is Eden Park to take on the Kiwis.</p> <p>New Zealand are in the box seat to qualify for next week’s final, having already beaten Samoa and now getting to take on recently tamed Tonga, at home.</p> <p>The H2H odds suggest it will be the Kiwis who run out comfortable winners here, but Tonga played well below their talent level against Samoa and it pays to remember their side still contains names such as: Isaiya Katoa, Addin Fonua Blake and Leka Halasima.</p> <p>Young Isaiya in particular needs to stand up and get his claws into this game, after failing to take control of the contest against Samoa.</p> <p>His match up against his veteran opposite number Kieran Foran, who could potentially run out on a Rugby League field as a professional for the last time should NZ lose by a large enough margin here, will be an interesting battle.</p> <p>Their contrasting style will be indicative of just how much the game has evolved over the last 10-15 years, as one elite halfback at the start of their journey meets one at their end of theirs.</p> <p>We’re sure Katoa will go on to taste plenty of success not just with Tonga, but also individually as the years roll by, but we’re tipping this day to belong to the old dog Foran and his Kiwi side.</p> <p><strong>Head-to-head prediction:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/rugby-league/international-matches/new-zealand-v-tonga-9775893">New Zealand.</a></p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> Kieran Foran anytime try scorer.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Where Can I Watch the Pacific Championships in Australia?</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>All games of the 2025 Rugby League Pacific Championships will stream in Australia on Kayo, Foxtel and 9Now.</p> <p>The Pacific Championships start on Saturday October 18 and run through to Sunday November 9.&nbsp;</p>