England are facing a likely Rugby League World Cup exit after their 34-12 win over Papua New Guinea failed to produce a sufficiently large margin in their bid to improve their position in the competition.
The match became a disorderly and error-filled contest as England pursued the points required to keep their campaign alive. Although they secured victory, the final margin is expected to be insufficient for them to advance.
England’s performance therefore leaves the side on the brink of elimination. Their hopes depended not only on beating Papua New Guinea, but on doing so by a significant enough score, and the 22-point margin appears unlikely to meet that requirement.
The result means England’s World Cup campaign is now close to ending, with their progression prospects dependent on the wider competition outcome. No further details of the qualification calculations or next steps are provided in the available material.
