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England secured a 34-12 victory over Papua New Guinea in Wollongong, but the result leaves them needing an unlikely miracle from Tonga to reach the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals. Two straightforward group stage wins would typically suffice, but a lopsided format and a heavy opening defeat to Tonga mean head coach Brian McDermott’s side are effectively heading home early after failing to overturn a massive points-difference deficit.
Missed Opportunities Against Papua New Guinea
According to Sport | The Guardian, the match began brilliantly as England raced to a 22-0 lead within the opening 20 minutes through tries from Matty Ashton, AJ Brimson, Dom Young, and Harry Smith. However, England strayed from their gameplan and spurned multiple scoring chances before half-time, allowing Papua New Guinea back into the contest.
Tries from Dudley Dotoi and Gairo Voro shortly after the interval narrowed the score to 24-12. Late tries from Morgan Knowles and Mikey Lewis secured the 22-point winning margin, but it fell far short of the large point differential needed to realistically advance ahead of Samoa and Tonga.
Head coach Brian McDermott reflected on the outcome after the match, telling Sport | The Guardian: “It feels like we’ve lost the game. Something remarkable is going to have to happen now for us to go through. If all we’d needed to do was win, we’d have handled it better … but it looks like we’re going out.”
Broader Challenges Facing English Rugby League
The men’s team’s premature exit, coupled with the women’s side’s elimination, highlights deep structural issues within the sport in England. Critics point to an obsession with club rugby league, a congested domestic calendar lacking mid-season camps or Test matches, and an increased overseas quota in the Super League as contributing factors.
Administrators face a monumental task to reverse the international decline, starting with potential partnerships with the NRL. McDermott expressed his desire to continue through to the 2030 World Cup, though he emphasized that structural help from leadership is urgently required.
England Women Also Exit the Tournament
In a parallel blow, England’s women’s team failed to reach the final stages of a Rugby League World Cup for the first time following a 24-6 defeat to Samoa in Wollongong. Stuart Barrow’s young squad, which featured 11 players aged 23 or under, struggled to match a star-studded Samoan side packed with professional NRLW talent.
Freedom Crichton Ropati scored a first-half hat-trick for Samoa, and despite a second-half try from Evie Cousins following a break by Hollie-Mae Dodd, Fanua Rimoni sealed the victory for Samoa. The defeat exposed a widening investment and professionalism gap between the northern and southern hemispheres in the women’s game.
England will now return home alongside the men’s team to face a thorough inquest into the state of the sport across both divisions on the international stage.
