McDermott blames Rugby League World Cup format as England face exit

Brian McDermott acknowledged that England's chances of advancing to the Rugby League World Cup semifinals could be finished, with the head coach pointing to the competition's structure and their initial defeat to Tonga as factors.

The tournament has been scaled back to 10 teams, compared to 16 in the previous edition. This change was primarily driven by financial considerations after Australia took over hosting duties following France's withdrawal. The result is an unusual setup where the stakes vary for different nations depending on their group.