England face an uphill battle to reach the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals after a 30-12 defeat to Tonga in Perth on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Brian McDermott’s side now rely on favorable results elsewhere and heavy wins in their remaining group matches to advance.
Perth Opener Dashes Early Hopes as Tonga Capitalizes
The tournament opener brought a harsh reality check for England under new head coach Brian McDermott. Despite enjoying strong possession and territorial dominance during the opening half-hour, England failed to convert pressure into points while Tonga absorbed the early blows and struck against the run of play. Stefano Utoikamanu scored a try after receiving a pass, while Isaiya Katoa added two penalties to help give Tonga a half-time lead against England.
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Kristian Woolf’s side had been in a slump before arriving in the west, but a spine-tingling Sipi Tau battle dance preceded a performance that brought a 30-12 win over England in front of passionate fans. The victory marked Tonga’s first win in seven meetings against England, exacting a measure of revenge for their heartbreaking semi-final loss at the 2017 World Cup.
AJ Brimson sparked a brief revival immediately after the interval by crossing for England’s first try, converted by Hugo Savala. Yet any momentum vanished as Tonga responded with three tries in quick succession. Haumole Olakau’atu poked home a loose ball from a blocked grubber before Tolutau Koula pounced on an inch-perfect kick from Tui Lolohea. Olakau’atu added his second of the night later in the half, while Katoa finished with a flawless kicking performance, converting four penalties and three goals for a personal haul of 14 points.
Discipline Lapses and Attack Flaws Cost England Dearly
England’s bright enterprise with the ball dissolved into erratic play and critical errors whenever they reached Tongan territory. Captain George Williams and half-back partner Harry Smith struggled to exert control, while defensive lapses under the high ball left full-back Zach Eckersley constantly targeted by Katoa’s tactical kicking game. McDermott pointed directly to unforced handling errors as the root cause of the breakdown.
It was a really good contest. When it wasn’t a contest it was more to do with us and the errors we made. They’re a big, strong team, have got some tremendous players and we stood toe-to-toe with them for nearly all the game.
Brian McDermott, England head coach, via The Guardian and Sky Sports
The defeat extends a grim run for the national team, which has not won a match since defeating Samoa in November 2024.
Mathematical Nightmare Leaves Qualification Beyond Direct Control
Under the tournament’s reduced format, the six nations across Groups B and C compete in a combined league table, with only the top two advancing to join Group A’s qualifiers in the semi-finals. Having lost their opener, England no longer control their destiny. Samoa’s emphatic 78-4 victory over France leaves Ben Gardiner’s side firmly in the box seat, while Tonga sits comfortably ahead in Group B.
McDermott firmly rejected any notion of running up artificial scores against their remaining pool opponents.
We’re not going to trip ourselves up trying to come up with a plan about scoring 50 points next week. It would be tremendously disrespectful to either France or PNG to suggest that we’re going to rack a load of points up.
Brian McDermott, England head coach, via Nine and 1news