The blunders that left England with no chance at the Rugby League World Cup

It was the Freudian slip that said it all. After England had struggled to a 34-12 victory over Papua New Guinea in Wollongong on Friday night, a result that all but sealed their historic Rugby League World Cup exit, head coach Brian McDermott trudged to the bowels of WIN Stadium for a sombre post-match press conference. There were just six journalists in attendance at the beachside home of National Rugby League (NRL) club St George Illawarra Dragons, another indication of how far the sport has fallen in its birthplace. Asked if he was disappointed by the result, McDermott replied: “Disappointed we lost… that we’re out of the tournament…” England of course hadn’t lost, and they weren’t out of the tournament: they needed Tonga to beat Samoa by 46 points on Sunday to keep their slim World Cup hopes alive “Let me start again,” McDermott added. “Disappointed it looks we’re going out of the tournament with that scoreline there.” McDermott’s own correction revealed more than he could have known. Controversial format or not, never before had a 22-point victory felt like such a damaging defeat for England. They might have beaten the Kumuls, but they had not scored anywhere near enough points to give themselves a realistic chance of reaching the semi-finals. They were also left relying on Tonga beating their neighbours by a scarcely believable margin in Parramatta. The eagerly anticipated contest eventually ended 20-18 in favour of Kristian Woolf’s side, a mere 44 points short of England’s salvation.England, who had never previously failed to reach the final four of a World Cup, were heading home early. To add insult to injury, they had to endure two days in Sydney purgatory before the two Polynesian nations met in arguably the best game of the tournament and their elimination was finally confirmed. Many fans and pundits in the UK have pointed to the convoluted draw and the structure of this 10-team World Cup, reduced from 16 nations in 2022, as the reasons for England’s embarrassing elimination. They had to face an emerging powerhouse in Tonga in a must-win opening group match and, despite winning two of their three games, were knocked out regardless. There is some validity to those arguments, and criticism of the gruelling 9,000-mile journey made by two-thirds of the England squad from Manchester to Perth. A 48-hour trip in premium economy, taking in northern England, Heathrow, Singapore and Sydney before finally reaching the West Australian capital, was far from ideal. McDermott jokingly likened it to the journey undertaken by Steve Martin and John Candy in the 1987 film Planes, Trains and Automobiles. “We were going around the world 15 times to arrive in Perth. We were [exhausted] for about three days afterwards,” he said. The disruption meant the four field sessions planned before the Tonga match were reduced to just two, leaving little preparation time for a completely new-look England side. But in elite sport, excuses only go so far. Minimal preparation on a shoestring budget was never going to be sufficient for a country that has not won a World Cup since 1972 or beaten Australia in a series for two decades. As Shane Warne once said: “Winners have parties, losers have meetings.” Never were truer words spoken by the cricketing icon. England won two of their three group stage matches but suffered an early exit to extend the World Cup heartache (Photo: Getty) The origins of England’s World Cup failure can be traced partly to years of stagnation and decline in the domestic game, with a club competition beset by infighting and crying out for investment, and partly to the bungling of the Rugby Football League (RFL). Despite being whitewashed 3-0 by Australia in an Ashes series last November, the RFL bizarrely waited until mid-January to remove coach Shaun Wane from his post. They then took another three months to appoint former marine McDermott as his replacement. The delay meant other viable candidates, such as Hull KR boss Willie Peters, were no longer available. McDermott’s position as assistant coach at Gold Coast Titans in the NRL meant all the pre-World Cup meetings were conducted online, with no face-to-face gathering until days before the tournament opener in Perth. Pressure from Super League clubs meant any prospect of a training camp, or a mid-season Test against France or the Combined Nations All Stars on home soil, was scrapped, further weakening the coach’s hand. Injuries to Matty Lees and Jake Trueman before the squad was announced, followed by those suffered by Morgan Smithies and Morgan Knowles during the tournament, did not help. Nor did the baffling decision to overlook Leeds star Jake Connor. However, once England arrived Down Under, they arguably enjoyed a dream run. A fortnight in sunny Perth, an Australian city more favourable to British visitors than most, while other countries had to fly in and out of Port Moresby, Townsville and Christchurch, was a considerable advantage. The good vibes in England’s camp may not have lasted long (Photo: Getty) The squad were happy, carefree and connected. Relationships were formed and new combinations developed. With only four England-based journalists travelling to cover the tournament, McDermott’s men were largely free from scrutiny and able to relax. When The i Paper visited training last week, in the days before the Papua New Guinea match, England’s players were comfortable and in good spirits. They joked and laughed as they trained in the New South Wales sunshine at the world-class facilities of the Dragons, which opened just six months ago. It was the modern picture of a happy, united collective. According to sources, England’s camp had been well-run and positive. While there had been reports of problems and discontent within the Ashes set-up last year, McDermott’s fresh approach was welcomed. Where previous England squads had been kept away from the public, players were available for media opportunities and free to enjoy the beaches of Fremantle and Wollongong. A different approach, a different coach and different venues from a year ago, but ultimately the same result. England beaten and once again searching for answers. As seagulls circled WIN Stadium at full-time on Friday, it was as if these Antipodean birds were also feasting on the carcass of British rugby league. This World Cup has further exposed the growing divide between the nations aligned with the NRL in the southern hemisphere and those connected to Super League in the northern hemisphere. That gulf has been evident for some time, not only in the men’s game but even more so in the women’s competition. What was once a gap is now a chasm. Until the status quo off the field in England is overthrown, little is likely to change on it. Let a merciless post-mortem begin.