England beat Papua New Guinea 34-12 in their final pool fixture of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
Brian McDermott's side knew they needed the win on Friday and initially got off to a strong start in Wollongong.
In the first half, England ran in four tries. Matty Ashton, AJ Brimson and Dom Young all crossed, showcasing their expansive attacking play that had been on display against France a week earlier.
Then, before half-time, Harry Smith sidestepped his way to the try-line, producing a moment of individual brilliance.
Hugo Savala added a penalty goal to give England a convincing 24-0 lead at the break.
England came out for the second half knowing they needed to score more points.
However, Papua New Guinea had other ideas and got themselves on the scoreboard when Dudley Dotoi used all his strength to reach out and ground the ball.
Soon after, Gario Voro added a second try for the Kumuls as England began to feel the pressure.
The contest became increasingly fiery as both sides looked to gain the upper hand, with England searching for the points that could prove crucial in the battle for a semi-final place.
In an end-to-end spectacle, Morgan Knowles then marked his first appearance of this year’s World Cup with a try.
A few minutes from time, Mikey Lewis added England's sixth and final try, bursting through the PNG defence to race away and score.
The victory keeps England's slim semi-final hopes alive, with Sunday's meeting between Tonga and Samoa set to determine whether McDermott's side can secure a place in the last four.
England:
Tries: Ashton, Brimson, Young, Smith, Knowles, Lewis
Goals: Savala (4/5), Smith (1/2)
PNG:
Tries: Dotoi, Voro
Goals: Martin (2/2)
Half-time: 24-0
Full-time: 34-12
