Carney: England have it all to do to avoid Rugby League World Cup exit
Sky Sports analyst and former player Brian Carney says England face a tough task to reach the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals. They must beat Papua New Guinea by a big margin and rely on other results.
England's men's team must not only win its final group match at the Rugby League World Cup but also depend on favourable results elsewhere, according to Sky Sports rugby league analyst Brian Carney. He says England "have it all to do" to reach the semi-finals and avoid a group-stage exit.
England opened the tournament with a 30-12 defeat to Tonga. On Saturday they beat France 82-0, but that does not secure a place in the knockout stage. Brian McDermott's side must beat Papua New Guinea in Wollongong on Friday, and do so by a large margin.
Reliant on other results
England will then wait two days, as Tonga play Samoa in Sydney on Sunday. A Samoa win would eliminate England, while a Tonga win could let England advance on points difference.
This year, Pools B and C are combined, with six teams in the group. If teams finish level, head-to-head results decide the standings, so Tonga will finish above England after their first-round win. Before the final round, England trail Samoa by 68 on points difference.
Carney said many people felt England were effectively out after the Tonga game. In his view, England need to score as many points as possible, because the more they score, the less Tonga need to win by. He also said he has found Papua New Guinea disappointing in the tournament so far.
England women
In the women's tournament, England lost 78-0 on Saturday to Australia, the defending world champions. They had earlier beaten Wales 70-6, and lost 90-4 to Australia in Las Vegas in March 2025. England must beat Samoa on Saturday to reach the knockout stage.
Carney said the English women's game suffers from a lack of competitive matches and resources, while the best players in the world play in Australia's NRLW. He argued the gap will not close unless the competition is fixed and properly funded.
