McDermott criticises World Cup format as England rely on other results

England head coach Brian McDermott has criticised the Rugby League World Cup format after an opening defeat left his team dependent on other results to reach the semi-finals. According to reporting by the Guardian, McDermott acknowledged that England's chances of progressing are slim following their 30-12 loss to Tonga, although they have not been eliminated.

The tournament has been cut from 16 teams four years ago to 10. The Guardian reported that financial considerations were a major factor in that reduction after Australia took over hosting duties following France's withdrawal. England are in the three-team Group B, but qualification is decided through a combined table covering the six nations in Groups B and C, with only two semi-final places available.

That arrangement means wins in England's remaining matches against France and Papua New Guinea would not necessarily secure passage to the last four. The route described by the Guardian requires Tonga to defeat Samoa, with England also needing winning margins large enough to finish ahead of the Samoans. Samoa's 78-4 victory over France has made the scale of England's task clearer, leaving qualification dependent on more than simply recovering from their opening defeat.

McDermott said the structure gives teams little opportunity to recover from an early setback. He acknowledged the difficulty of organising a competition with 10 nations but contrasted England's position with New Zealand's. The New Zealanders lost their opener to Australia yet can still qualify by beating Fiji and the Cook Islands, because two teams advance from their four-team Group A without needing a combined table.

Despite the setback, McDermott has made only one change to England's starting lineup, bringing Warrington winger Matty Ashton in for Zach Eckersley. The Guardian also reported that England reached their Perth camp after a 48-hour journey and had been in Australia for only a few days before facing Tonga. McDermott had committed his side to a more adventurous approach in that match.

The coach remained positive about the squad's longer-term prospects, saying the group had established foundations in a short preparation period. He argued against extensive changes and said further games together would allow the players to develop their preparation. For this tournament, however, England must combine their own improvement with favourable results elsewhere to keep their semi-final hopes alive.