England Rugby League Coach Keeps Faith With Unchanged Squad Despite Tonga Defeat

England men's coach Brian McDermott has named an unchanged 19-man squad for Saturday's Rugby League World Cup match against France, opting to retain the same players despite a significant 30-12 defeat against Tonga in their opening game.

This decision places increased pressure on the team's progression to the semi-finals. AJ Brimson will continue at full-back, with Jack Welsby listed among the interchanges. McDermott has expressed his continued belief in the squad as they prepare for the Group B-C match in Perth.

The selected England squad includes AJ Brimson, Dom Young, Hugo Savala, Herbie Farnworth, Zach Eckersley, George Williams, Harry Smith, Max King, Brad O'Neill, Luke Thompson, Junior Nsemba, Kai Pearce-Paul, and Victor Radley. The interchange players are Jez Litten, Ben Currie, Ethan Havard, Sam Walters, Jack Welsby, and Matty Ashton. Reserves are Kallum Watkins, Mikey Lewis, and Ben Talty.

Luke Thompson is set to continue at prop, as Morgan Knowles remains unavailable due to an injury sustained before the Tonga game. Mikey Lewis, a selection that had been debated, remains out of the matchday team. Harry Smith will partner captain George Williams in the halves, despite the pair being overpowered by Tonga in the previous fixture. This defeat marked England's first ever against Tonga and presents a challenging path to the semi-finals.

To maintain a realistic chance of advancing, England must win their remaining two games: against France this Saturday and Papua New Guinea on October 30. The team will likely need to secure victories with substantial scorelines, given the tournament's format. England's fate may not be confirmed until Tonga plays Samoa in their final group game, potentially two days after England's fixtures.