Mikey Lewis insists England have the belief, commitment and attacking threat to keep their Rugby League World Cup dream alive, as the national side prepare for a must-win clash with Papua New Guinea on Friday.
England head into their final group fixture knowing their World Cup remains out of their hands. An opening defeat to Tonga was followed by a commanding victory over France last Saturday, with Brian McDermott’s side now tasked with beating Papua New Guinea by a substantial margin while hoping Tonga can overcome Samoa on Sunday.
If both results go England’s way, and they finish with a superior points difference to Samoa, a place in the semi-finals the following weekend remains within reach.
For Lewis, the challenge is clear: concentrate on the job in front of them, deliver another high-quality performance and give themselves every opportunity to progress.
“We’re in a really unique position,” the England playmaker explained. “The way it’s been planned is out of our hands. We’ve got to do what we need to do.
“We’ve got to put the hard work in early like we did last week, respect the ball, not compound errors. There’s going to be times where we have to defend our line; we worked on that last week and worked on it again this week.
“It’s an international game, so it’s going to be intense, it’s going to hurt at times, but if we do what we did against France, I don’t see why not.”
Lewis’s place in the England squad came after a challenging year for Hull KR which saw him miss a significant chunk of games late on in the year through suspension – and the half-back admits he hasn’t been performing at the level we have come to expect.
Nevertheless, he believed his form in recent seasons – particularly when representing his home nation - had earned him an opportunity, and he remained ready to answer the call when new England head coach Brian McDermott contacted him following the Super League Grand Final.
“Obviously, the way my year went wasn’t the best and I know that; I don’t need anyone else to tell me how I went this year,” Lewis acknowledged.
“I just had to put myself in the shop window and I feel like I’ve earned my spot from recent years’ performances playing for England, but obviously with a new coach, I didn’t know what to expect.
“I was just waiting for the call after the Grand Final on the Sunday. And then he called me in the morning and just said, ‘Look, you’re on the plane and I’m really excited to get working with you.’
“I was really excited. I kept training, kept myself in shape to make sure I was fully prepared for if and when I got the call to come and luckily I got the call to come and here I am, loving it.”
Despite missing out on selection for England’s opening game against Tonga, Lewis remained committed to supporting his teammates and ensuring the squad were prepared.
He understood McDermott’s reasoning and accepted that patience was part of being involved in a squad filled with top quality players.
“The conversation me and Brian had was that I wasn’t going to play the first game, and I fully understood where he was coming from,” he explained.
“I’m a team player and I just wanted to reassure him that if I’m not in that playing squad, I’m going to make sure the lads are fully prepared for the week ahead.”
Although England ultimately lost to Tonga, Lewis felt the experience provided valuable lessons ahead of the remainder of the tournament.
“It was disappointing not to be involved, but I’m at a World Cup with world-class players, so you can’t be beaten down all the time. You’ve got to keep your head held high, shoulders back and make sure the lads are fully prepared for the weekend.”
Lewis made the most of his opportunity when he came into the side against France, scoring twice as England produced a huge victory to revive their campaign heading into the final round of pool fixtures.
The playmaker embraced the freedom afforded to him by the coaching staff, with his instructions centred on running the ball, expressing himself and putting pressure on the opposition.
“My job was to go out there and express myself, run the ball, play with a smile on my face and cause havoc. That was the instruction and I feel like I did that, and Brian and all the coaching staff really give you the confidence to do that,” he said.
“I’m playing for my country with a lot of pride and enjoyment and a massive smile on my face. And that was a big thing on Saturday. Playing with a smile on my face was something I hadn’t done for a little bit and I felt like I did that.
“Even though it was only 20 minutes, but 20 minutes is 20 minutes for my country, so I don’t really care.”
That willingness to embrace whatever role is required could prove important against Papua New Guinea, with England needing to combine attacking ambition with the discipline required to avoid costly errors.
Lewis is prepared to adapt to whatever the team needs and take on whatever role is required.
“Wherever I play this week, how long I play, whatever type of game, I might get different instructions, but you know, it is what it is,” he said.
“I’ll play anywhere as long as I represent my country and I’ll do that to the best of my ability.”
England’s performance against France offered encouragement not only through the scoreline but also through the connections developing across the squad.
Lewis highlighted the strength of the group, pointing to the familiarity between established internationals and the younger players earning their places.
He also praised Hull KR teammate Jez Litten, whose impact from the bench has been a feature of England’s campaign.
“Jez has been playing fantastic all year. He’s a player that doesn’t get a lot of recognition and I feel like he needs to, because the things he does for such a small body in that middle. He throws his weight about, I tell you that,” Lewis said.
“He’s been fantastic in this camp. When he’s come off that bench, he’s made a difference. And I think that’s part of his job as well, go on there and pick defences off and put your shoulder where it hurts, and that’s what he’s done.
“I love watching him play from the sideline but I also love playing with him, so it’s good.”
For Lewis, that sense of togetherness extends beyond the pitch. England’s World Cup campaign could be over within days, or it could continue into the semi-finals and beyond, making the time spent together all the more valuable.
“We’ve got a well-connected team here,” he said. “Ever since I’ve been in these England squads four years ago, it’s been so connected and you can see when we’re playing with each other.
“These lads come together once a year and it’s about bonding with each other as fast as you can and enjoying the time you’ve got with each other, and that’s what we’ve done.”
While England need to try and pile on the scores this Friday, Lewis was clear that chasing points cannot come at the expense of the fundamentals.
Ball retention, defensive resilience and discipline will all be crucial against a Papua New Guinea side capable of making the contest difficult.
England will need to attack with intent without allowing errors to undermine their chances of building the margin required.
“We’ve got the strike and the desired commitment between each other to get this job done, and we’re in with a fighting chance,” Lewis said.
“We believe that in these four walls. We believe that we can go out and achieve anything we want and we’ve just got to put the hard work in like we did last week and see where it takes us.
“You’ve just got to enjoy it. You enjoy the challenge and just see where we go.”
England’s position means Friday’s result will be followed by an anxious wait for Sunday’s meeting between Tonga and Samoa.
A convincing victory over Papua New Guinea would give England the best possible chance of progressing, but their fate would still depend on the result elsewhere and the final points difference.
Lewis is hopeful Tonga can deliver the result England need, but insists his side must first take care of their own responsibilities.
“They’ve got a fantastic squad,” he said of Tonga. “But like you say, it’s all about us, isn’t it? We’ve got to get the job done on Friday night and we’ve got to put that pressure on and hopefully they do it.
“If we get the job done on Friday, we’ll be sat there watching it on Sunday. I hope we’re not on that plane back on the Monday. Hopefully we’ll get another week together. And then we’ll be playing Australia at the Allianz.
“So yeah, fingers crossed. We’ve got to do the business and see where it takes us.”
For Lewis and England, their job is straightforward, even if the circumstances are not. They must produce another emphatic performance, keep their discipline and hope the results elsewhere fall in their favour.
The World Cup door is still open. On Friday, England must do everything they can to keep it that way.
