England stunned by Tonga in World Cup opener

England fans tuning into the Rugby League World Cup on Saturday woke to a sobering reality: their team's tournament survival is already hanging by a thread. Brian McDermott’s side fell 30-12 to Tonga at HBF Park in Perth, a punishing opening defeat that leaves the world’s third-ranked team scrambling for favours and facing an early exit from the Australian competition.

The central reading of this tournament is that England are victims of both a punishingly unforgiving group format and their own self-inflicted mistakes. While pre-tournament talk from the coaching staff centered on playing with a creative spark and going against the grain, the reality on the pitch was a familiar tale of attacking profligacy and critical disciplinary lapses. The tournament's reduced structure puts six nations from Groups B and C into a single combined league table, where only the top two advance to the semi-finals. Having leaked 30 points while scoring only two tries, England now possess a daunting points deficit and zero margin for error.

Can England still reach the semi-finals?

The path forward for England requires a minor miracle coupled with maximum bonus points. Because head-to-head records serve as the first tiebreaker if sides finish level on points — though points difference may loom large given not everyone plays each other — McDermott’s squad must secure heavy victories in their remaining fixtures. We want to rack up some points, wing Dom Young told BBC Sport, noting the team is good enough to do so. Beyond winning their own games, England must rely on external outcomes, specifically needing Tonga to defeat Samoa on November 1 while simultaneously cultivating a superior points difference to survive the group phase.

Critics point out that this precarious arithmetic stems entirely from letting a winnable game slip away. England dominated territory for the opening 20 minutes of both halves, using intuitive second-phase rugby to push Tonga onto the back foot. Yet, just as in last year's Ashes, they lacked the clinical final touch near the opposition line. A turning point arrived on 22 minutes when Victor Radley knocked on following a heavy tackle from Tongan captain Jason Taumalolo. Tonga immediately capitalised, with Stefano Utoikamanu streaking through after an inside pass from Isaiya Katoa cut out George Williams and Kai Pearce-Paul.

Why did the tactics unravel in Perth?

McDermott, stepping in as head coach in April as Shaun Wane's successor following a lack of warm-up matches and no fixtures since November 2025, watched his team fall apart amid handling errors and needless offloads. Wane's previous tenure relied on a defensively solid unit that whitewashed Tonga during a 2023 tour, but the new attacking blueprint backfired. Captain George Williams admitted the side strayed from their intended balance. It was a tough game. It was in the balance for a long time, 10-6 until 50 odd minutes, Williams told uk.sports.yahoo.com. We lost our way a little bit and probably played too many offloads, a little bit erratic and we need to find the right balance to be a good team.

Conversely, Tonga's game plan worked to perfection under the orchestration of half-back Isaiya Katoa. The Dolphins player dictated terms with an incessant kicking game that pinned down Zach Eckersley, while chipping in with 14 points from the boot. Tries from Haumole Olakau'atu, who pounced after a sketchy grubber and later touched down from Katoa's clever second kick, alongside a score from Toluta’u Koula, sealed the result. Tonga coach input and calm execution contrasted sharply with an English side that McDermott admitted looked nervous with ball in hand and too eager to pass up running opportunities.

What is the strongest argument for optimism?

The counter-view from inside the English camp is that panic is unwarranted. Despite the scoreline, players and staff insist the fundamental effort and structural approach are sound. One loss doesn't change how we think, how we work. There'll be no major changes in terms of what we do – just try to get better at it, Williams stated, emphasising that the team successfully stripped the Tongan defence on multiple occasions before the scramble defence intervened. McDermott echoed this sentiment, noting that the squad stood toe to toe with a physical Tongan outfit featuring heavy hitters from the Australian National Rugby League for nearly the entire contest.

This perspective holds that cleaning up possession losses and reducing erratic offloads will naturally convert those early-door missed opportunities into tries. Under this reading, the performance contained enough positive phases to suggest that against weaker group opponents, the system can still produce high-scoring wins. If the players maintain their belief and execute with greater patience, the heavy defeats they need to inflict on France and Papua New Guinea remain entirely achievable.

Who pays the price for the opening loss?

Accountability for the defeat points directly toward selection and strategic execution. McDermott has already signalled that he will review his options after deploying a spine featuring Harry Smith and Williams in the halves, alongside AJ Brimson at full-back in place of Jack Welsby. While Brimson crossed for a try, he was caught out of position for Tonga's fourth try, and Williams endured one of his poorest games in an England shirt. Selection changes appear certain as the team prepares for the next hurdle.

Beyond the men's squad, English rugby league supporters found brighter news from the women's game, where the national team warmed up for their match against reigning world champions Australia with a dominant 70-6 victory over Wales. Anna Davies and debutant Connie Boyd both scored hat-tricks, while Izzy Rowe finished with a points haul of 26. That sets up a group-deciding clash against the Jillaroos, who beat Samoa 40-0, in Perth, offering a contrasting narrative of clinical execution.

For the men, however, time has effectively run out. The focus shifts instantly to selection decisions and tactical adjustments ahead of the next fixture. England name their team to face France on Tuesday ahead of the match on October 24, where the response to this Perth stunner will be put to the test.