England faces an uphill battle in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup following a disappointing 30-12 loss to Tonga in their opening match. While Tonga, ranked fifth globally, celebrated a historic victory in Perth, England’s third-ranked squad was left to contemplate a series of self-inflicted mistakes that derailed their performance. As Tonga’s deliriously happy supporters celebrated in their thousands in Perth, England knew they only had themselves to blame. The question is whether England’s World Cup hopes are also over already. A Tonga side packed with players from the Australian National Rugby League had too much for England. A much more assured Tonga side started the evening with a spine-tingling Sipi Tau battle dance and ended it with victory for the first time in seven meetings with England.
Despite showing promise by arguably dominating the opening 20 minutes of both halves, England failed to capitalize on multiple scoring opportunities. Their momentum was repeatedly stifled by handling errors, risky offloads, and avoidable penalties. The contest was effectively decided when Haumole Olakau’atu crashed over for Tonga’s fourth try, sealing a result that marked Tonga’s first win against England in seven attempts. But we made errors chasing the scoreboard, we stood toe to toe for nearly all the game. But one or two things we must get rid of, like losing possession, there are tonnes of positives to take out of tonight. Many of them justified, but he organised a defensively solid England team who whitewashed Tonga on their tour of Britain in 2023, wane had his critics.
Head coach Brian McDermott remains defiant regarding the team’s tournament prospects, insisting that the errors are correctable. In his post-match conference, he acknowledged that while the match was a good contest, the outcome was dictated by England’s own shortcomings. He emphasized that he sees enough potential to steer the team in the right direction, though he admitted that winning their remaining two group games is now a necessity. We know what is in front of us now.
This fixture marked McDermott’s first match in charge since replacing Shaun Wane in April. The transition has been challenging, compounded by a lack of preparation; England entered the tournament without a single warm-up match. Their last competitive outing was a loss to Australia at Headingley in November 2025, and the team has struggled for form, failing to secure a victory since defeating Samoa in November 2024. Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand. And McDermott has had to piece together a team with minimal preparation, he left in January after England were well beaten in last year’s Ashes.
Tactical and selection choices are now under scrutiny. McDermott expressed frustration with the team’s lack of discipline, stating that international-level play does not allow for reckless freedom and requires better ball retention. During the match, England appeared nervous, frequently opting against running at the Tongan defense. And that is where the former Leeds Rhinos coach will be questioned, team selection and tactics are not.
Selection issues were highlighted by the performance of the halves pairing, Harry Smith and captain George Williams, the latter of whom endured a difficult outing. Additionally, full-back AJ Brimson, who scored England’s opening try, was later caught out of position during Tonga’s fourth scoring play. McDermott has confirmed he will review selection options ahead of Tuesday’s squad announcement for the upcoming game against France.
Reflecting on the match, George Williams credited Tonga’s defensive scramble but lamented the missed chances in the early stages. He stressed that the group remains united and focused on finding the necessary balance to improve, maintaining that the single defeat does not define their campaign. But it’s something I can change, i’m not going to say it’s an easy fix.
For fans following the tournament, live commentary for all men’s matches and selected women’s fixtures is available via Radio 5 Live, Radio 5 Sports Extra, Sounds platform, and the official Sport website and app.
