England faces Rugby League World Cup exit after win over Papua New Guinea

England is facing an unlikely exit from the Rugby League World Cup following a 34-12 victory over Papua New Guinea at WIN Stadium in Wollongong. Despite an early 22-0 lead fueled by tries from Matty Ashton, AJ Brimson, Dominic Young, and Harry Smith, England failed to secure the massive points margin required to overtake Samoa in the standings.

Following a period of dominance in the first twenty minutes, England struggled with discipline and ball control, committing 21 errors throughout the match. This allowed the Papua New Guinea Kumuls to mount a comeback in the second half with tries from Dudley Dotoi and Gairo Voro. Late scores from Morgan Knowles and Mikey Lewis provided consolation for the English side, but the result leaves their progression heavily dependent on Tonga defeating Samoa by at least 46 points.

Head coach Brian McDermott expressed frustration with the team's performance, noting a lack of flow in the second half. If the required results do not go in their favor, this will mark the first time in the 72-year history of the tournament that England fails to reach the semi-finals.