England need two wins after Tonga defeat leaves World Cup hopes in balance

England must win their next two Rugby League World Cup group matches to retain a realistic chance of reaching the semi-finals after Tonga beat them 30-12 in Perth.

Coach Brian McDermott said his side had made too many errors in their opening match but insisted the problems could be addressed. England face France next Saturday and Papua New Guinea on 30 October.

“We stood toe to toe for nearly all the game, but we made errors chasing the scoreboard,” McDermott said. “I’m not going to say it’s an easy fix, but it’s something I can change.” [1]

England had chances early in both halves, but handling mistakes, unnecessary offloads and penalties helped Tonga seize control. Haumole Olakau’atu’s try, Tonga’s fourth, put the result beyond reach.

The defeat was England’s first match under McDermott, appointed in April to succeed Shaun Wane. The team had no warm-up games and had not played since losing to Australia in November 2025. England’s previous win was against Samoa in November 2024. [1]

McDermott said England had not been “strategically outdone” and pointed to positives, while acknowledging that the team needed to stop losing possession. Captain George Williams said England had been erratic and needed to find a better balance. [1]

England’s route to the last four is complicated: the six teams in the combined Group B-C each play three opponents, and the top two in the overall table advance. Head-to-head is the first tie-breaker for teams level on points, though points difference could also matter because not every side plays the others.

Even if England win their remaining games, results elsewhere may determine whether they progress. Tonga play Samoa in their final group match, two days after England’s game against Papua New Guinea. McDermott said he would review his selection options before naming the team to face France on Tuesday. [1]