Litten and Knowles start as England face must-win Papua New Guinea match

Jez Litten and Morgan Knowles have been named in England’s starting line-up for Friday’s Rugby League World Cup match against Papua New Guinea, while Brad O’Neill has been left out of the 19-player squad.

England must beat the co-hosts in Wollongong to keep their semi-final hopes alive. They also need Tonga to beat Samoa on Sunday; a Samoa win would eliminate England, while a Tonga victory would leave qualification to points difference. England currently trail Samoa by 68 points on that measure.

Litten comes in at hooker, with Knowles returning after missing England’s first two matches with a calf injury. He replaces Victor Radley, who moves to the interchange bench. O’Neill, who wore the number nine shirt in last Saturday’s 82-0 win over France, is among the reserves.

England’s campaign began with a 30-12 defeat by Tonga, followed by the emphatic win over France. The team has until Friday’s 09:05 GMT kick-off to prepare for the decisive group match, although head coach Brian McDermott has made late changes to his matchday squad before both previous games.