Brian McDermott believes England have the quality, character and preparation to make a significant impact at the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, with the head coach insisting his squad is capable of achieving "something special" on the sport's biggest stage.
England begin their campaign against Tonga in Perth, Australia this weekend, with McDermott naming a side built around what he believes gives England the best chance of success throughout the tournament.
The two nations last met in a three-Test series in 2023, when England recorded a 3-0 clean sweep on home soil, but McDermott knows his side face a different challenge Down Under.
With England's World Cup opener fast approaching, the head coach is under no illusions about the task awaiting his players against a Tonga squad packed with size, athleticism and power.
“There are only a few ways you can play international rugby league and there’s a few ways you can get it wrong as well,” McDermott said.
“We’ve got to take Tonga on, we’ve got to meet fire with fire in that regard, but there’s a version of doing it where you don’t just stay doing that for 80 minutes.
“They are physically going to be a challenge for us, and we’ve got to remain clever and smart while dealing with their physicality.
“I think to go deep in the tournament we have to do something special. There needs to be some moments where we come through a level of adversity, levels of fatigue, and levels of turning them away from our try-line.
“It’s a big challenge.”
England have been in Perth since last week as they build towards their tournament opener, with McDermott pleased by both the attitude and application shown by his squad so far:
“Everyone’s been keen to get going - I had to blow my whistle two or three times earlier to say ‘slow down’, ‘calm down’, and ‘chill out’, because these players are just so keen to get going!
“We had a good day on the field on Tuesday, and we’re looking forward to our last two days of prep before the game on Saturday.
“It’s been a long year with all the prep, but I’ve really enjoyed it.
“We're only a few sessions in, so I'm sure we'll get better and we'll get to know each other a little bit more the following week and by week three. And if we've got a week four, we can really start getting excited.”
McDermott's confidence has been strengthened by the depth of talent and big-game experience within his squad:
“You've got to select a squad that you think can get the job done.
“There are some fantastic teams that are populated by a lot of players who come from the NRL and it's a fantastic competition as well [referring to the World Cup].
“I reckon this squad can do something special. My gut tells me that this group could achieve something special.
“I find it really easy to speak to this group. I find it really easy to coach this group.
“The squad that I’ve picked is full of players that can play in finals. A lot of them have won finals and a lot of them can play under pressure. We have a squad that has a good history of doing that.”
Preparation has been a major focus throughout the year, with McDermott and his team laying much of the groundwork long before arriving in Australia:
“We’ve been building up for this for months and months, so we arrived in Perth fairly well prepared and the players knew that as well, they feel that, when I'm talking about and showing vision on what we're likely to face and showing vision on what we should and shouldn't do.
“Itt's not the first time they've seen that vision and it's not the first time I've been speaking about that.”
With a passionate crowd expected and a demanding opening assignment awaiting, the England Head Coach believes his players are ready for the intensity and pressure that comes with World Cup rugby league:
“You’ve got deliver in finals and you've got to deliver when the pressure is on. You don't get another weekend to review the game. You've got to give it there and then.
“The Tonga crowd for sure, they do bring an atmosphere, but I'm confident that the players have got the metal inside of them to handle them.”
Click here to view the England Men squad named for their World Cup opener against Tonga.
Follow England's journey and watch the 2026 Rugby League World Cup LIVE with a Premier Sports subscription. Brian McDermott's side kick off their World Cup campaign in Perth on Saturday 17 October against Tonga.
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