Bulls pair packing for pre-season after both dumped out of World Cup

WAQA Blake and Esan Marsters are both heading home from the Rugby League World Cup.

They will not be with Bulls for the start of pre-season, which begins today, but nor will they be staying Down Under for the knockout stages.

Marsters’ Cook Islands side were already out of the tournament going into their final Pool A game against reigning champions and favourites Australia.

And while they took a shock early lead, the Kangaroos roared back to beat them 66-6.

Marsters played in all three of his country’s group-stage defeats, having returned from injury for Bulls’ final game of the Super League season against York.

His Bradford team-mate Blake lined up at centre for Fiji in what was effectively a decider.

Whoever won the game between his side and New Zealand would go through to the semis alongside Australia.

Sadly for Blake, Fiji were blown away, as they lost 78-0, with both teams having a player sent off in a fiery encounter.

New Zealand's Ronaldo Mulitalo produced a nasty high shot on Fiji's Ronald Philitoga, which led to a melee.

Within that, Fiji's Brandon Wakeham threw a punch, with the referee eventually producing red cards for both him and Mulitalo.

That 78-0 defeat meant Fiji came second-bottom of Pool A and will not be progressing any further.

Blake had scored a try as Fiji beat Cook Islands in their opener, while his side were surprisingly ahead against the Kangaroos just after half-time last weekend.

But the Aussies hit back to win the game 36-22, meaning Fiji had to beat New Zealand to go through, which they failed to do.

New Zealand will now host Pool B and C winners Tonga, who finished top of their group after edging to a 20-18 victory against Samoa over the weekend.

Samoa also went through in second place, meaning they will take on Pool A winners Australia in the semis.

The result in that Tonga and Samoa game meant England suffered a group stage exit.

They beat Papua New Guinea 34-12 in their final game, but needed that result to be combined with a 46-point Tonga victory, which did not come to pass.