McDermott criticises 10-team World Cup format as England face elimination after Tonga defeat
England head coach Brian McDermott said on 22 October 2026 that their Rugby League World Cup hopes may already be over after their opening loss to Tonga last weekend in the tournament hosted by Australia, and he blamed the competition’s “harsh” 10-team format. McDermott warned the structure leaves little margin for error following the defeat.
Organisers reduced the World Cup to 10 nations from 16, a change the coach attributed to financial reasons after the hosts Australia stepped in following France’s withdrawal. That contraction produced an unusual arrangement in which England sit in a three-team Group B while progression to the semi-finals is decided from a combined six-team table made up of Groups B and C. Only the top two teams from that combined table advance to the semi-finals, increasing the instantaneous stakes for teams in smaller groups.
England’s loss to Tonga has pushed qualification into a difficult position: expected wins against France on Saturday and Papua New Guinea next week are unlikely, according to the article, to guarantee passage. The scenario requires Tonga to beat Samoa next weekend and for England to win their remaining matches by a greater margin than Samoa achieve.
McDermott was forthright about the format’s impact on England’s chances. “The jeopardy of losing one game in a pool of three is so harsh, it’s almost like we don’t get another chance to straighten things out,” he said. “It’s just harsh that we have to take a standing eight count in that first round, but we’re ready to go again. Nothing has gone wrong, it’s just a harsh competition in which you’ve got to hit the ground running, which we didn’t do.”
He contrasted England’s position with that of New Zealand, who are in the four-team Group A where two teams progress; despite losing to Australia last week, wins over Fiji and Cook Islands would secure New Zealand’s qualification. “New Zealand have lost their first game as well, but they’re going to get another go at it,” McDermott said. “The likelihood is that they’ll quality, their destiny is not lying in other people’s hands.”
The article noted match context and squad handling: England inflicted a second heavy defeat on Les Bleus after France’s 78-4 loss to Samoa last week, but England’s 30-12 reverse to Tonga has attracted criticism. McDermott had said his side would try to play a more enterprising style, and England had arrived in Australia only days earlier after a brutal 48-hour journey to reach their camp in Perth, which helped explain his reluctance to make sweeping changes to the team.
McDermott made a single alteration to the starting XV, naming Warrington winger Matty Ashton in place of Zach Eckersley. England Brimson; Young, Savala, Farnworth, Ashton; Williams, Smith; King, O’Neill, Thompson, Nsemba, Pearce-Paul, Radley. Interchange Litten, Currie, Havard, Walters, Welsby, Eckersley. France Mourgue; Aispuro-Bichet, Siegwalt, Tropis, Laguerre; Lacans, Fages; Navarrete, Bourouh, Bousquet, Romano, Jussaume, Garcia. Interchange Rouge, Belmas, Cozza, Grossemy, Dezaria, Yaha.
McDermott expressed optimism about the group’s development while acknowledging the immediate outlook. “I’m really pumped about what we’ve done over a short period of time; it’s been remarkable, really,” he said. “For us to go through now, it’s a slim chance. I don’t think there’s a great need for change, just give me another three or four games with this mob. Let’s build some layers of preparation with each other.” The article also stated there is likely to be a post-tournament inquest into England’s standing within the domestic game, noting the absence of mid-season camps and that the schedule for a home three-Test series against New Zealand next autumn is not yet confirmed.
England’s next fixtures are against France on Saturday and Papua New Guinea next week, and their progression to the semi-finals depends on those results combined with the outcome of Tonga’s match against Samoa.