England Men know they must produce a convincing victory over Papua New Guinea on Friday morning (9.05am GMT) to keep their hopes of reaching the Semi-Finals of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup alive.
Brian McDermott’s side revived their campaign with an emphatic win over France last weekend, but their fate remains out of their hands heading into their final pool fixture. England must beat PNG by a significant margin before hoping Tonga defeat Samoa on Sunday, with a superior points difference to Samoa then required to secure progression.
Papua New Guinea also have plenty to play for, despite suffering a heavy defeat to Samoa in their last outing. The Kumuls can still qualify for the Semi-Finals if they pull off a shock victory over England, Samoa beat Tonga, and they finish with a better points difference than Tonga.
With both sides still fighting to keep their World Cup dreams alive, Friday’s encounter promises to be a crucial test for McDermott’s men.
England will take confidence from their performance against France, with Dom Young and Herbie Farnworth both crossing for hat-tricks in a commanding display. Their finishing ability will again be vital as England look to build a sizeable score and give themselves the best possible chance of progressing.
Mikey Lewis also made a significant impact from the bench against France, scoring two tries in just 20 minutes. His impressive cameo has earned him another place among the substitutes as England look to maintain the attacking spark that kept their campaign alive last weekend.
There are also changes to the forward pack, with Morgan Knowles set to make his first appearance of the tournament after missing England’s opening two matches through injury. Knowles comes into the side at loose forward, replacing Victor Radley, as England look to deliver another strong performance in the middle of the field.
Kallum Watkins has also been named on the bench after joining the squad late following Morgan Smithies’ withdrawal through injury. The experienced Leeds Rhinos forward brings valuable international experience, having featured for England against Papua New Guinea in the Quarter-Finals of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup in Australia.
While England will be focused on securing the victory and points difference they need, PNG will be determined to respond after their defeat to Samoa and take their own opportunity to reach the last four.
With qualification still possible for both nations, England must combine the attacking threat they showed against France with a disciplined performance to ensure their World Cup campaign remains alive heading into Sunday’s final pool fixtures.
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