McDermott: England's Tough Task and Warning Not to Get Distracted

England head coach Brian McDermott urged his players to stay focused at a press conference before the final group-stage match of the Rugby League World Cup. England had been put in a difficult position after losing 30-12 to Tonga in their opening match. To reach the semi-finals, they need to beat Papua New Guinea by a convincing margin on Friday.

England also need to wait for the result of the match between Tonga and Samoa. If Tonga beat Samoa, England must also make up the 68-point gap. For this reason, McDermott acknowledged the importance of scoring points but stressed that physical dominance must come first. He also noted that his team, which beat France 82-0, will face a tougher test this time.

The head coach said that chasing points without physically dominating the opponent carries risk for the team. He said players should not look for solutions outside their own game plans. He recalled that patience paid off against France, when no points came in the first twenty minutes.

McDermott explained that when a big gap opens, teams either slow their tempo or make mistakes by playing too much. Saying England must not fall into this trap, he emphasised that discipline will be the factor that decides the outcome of the match.