England head coach Brian Mc Dermott has branded the format of the Rugby League World Cup as "harsh" as his side face a battle to progress. Last Saturday's loss to Tonga means England must hope Tonga beat Samoa in their final group game next week to stand any realistic chance of reaching the semi-finals.
That scenario would leave England and Samoa separated by points difference, a particularly tough ask given the Samoans started their campaign with a crushing 78-4 win over France. "The jeopardy is losing one game is so harsh, it's almost like we don't get another chance to straighten things out," said Mc Dermott, whose side face the French in their second group game in Perth on Saturday.
This year's World Cup was reduced to 10 men's teams after France pulled out of hosting the event in 2023, creating a complicated, partial cross-group format in which one of the top five nations will be eliminated at the first stage. In contrast, favourites Australia and New Zealand are effectively guaranteed to reach the last four after being placed in a conventional, four-team Group A alongside Fiji and the Cook Islands.
Mc Dermott added: "New Zealand have lost their first game as well, but they're going to get another go at it and the likelihood is they'll qualify, so their destiny is not lying in other people's hands. That's not the position we find ourselves in."
In his squad to face France, Mc Dermott has stuck with the same 19-man group thrashed 30-12 by Tonga, with Matty Ashton starting on the wing in place of Zach Eckersley. There remains no place for Hull KR star Mikey Lewis, who is named a reserve. The 25-year-old, who won 2024's Man of Steel, has picked up eight caps but started only three. "He's been great round the camp, he knows his role," Mc Dermott said.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing