- Published
England were left exhausted and with little preparation time for the start of their Rugby League World Cup campaign because of a travel schedule straight out of the film Planes, Trains and Automobiles, head coach Brian McDermott says.
asserted
McDermott → publish → film
England's 30-12 defeat by Tonga last Saturday has left them teetering on the brink of elimination because of the unusual format of this year's tournament.
asserted
defeat → leave → tournament
However, the UK-based players in McDermott's squad were hardly helped by a lengthy trip to their Perth base, taking almost 48 hours.
asserted
players → base → hours
Speaking to the media on Thursday, McDermott likened it to the hapless journey undertaken by Steve Martin and John Candy in their 1987 road-trip comedy.
asserted
McDermott → speak → comedy
"We were going around the world 15 times to arrive in Perth.
asserted
We → go → Perth
We were [exhausted] for about three days afterwards," said McDermott.
asserted
McDermott → exhaust → days
"I think we were on the same aeroplane as John Candy and Steve Martin, for all you who remember Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
asserted
who → think → Planes
"I had to call Monday's training session short because you could tell there was a load of residue from travel still left in them."
uncertain
you → have → them
BBC Sport understands that the International Rugby League - the game's global governing body and the tournament organiser - planned England's travel itinerary for the World Cup.
asserted
League → understand → Cup
The BBC has contacted the IRL for comment.
asserted
BBC → contact → comment
The convoluted route featured players taking a bus journey from the north of England to London before flying to Singapore instead of directly to Perth.
asserted
players → feature → Perth
Instead of taking a five-hour flight from Singapore to Perth, England then flew for almost eight hours to Sydney, before catching another plane to go back to Western Australia.
asserted
England → take → Australia
It meant the McDermott's new-look side completed just two full training sessions before taking on a powerful Tonga side, two places below them in fifth in the IRL world rankings.
asserted
side → mean → rankings
And despite showing promise, there were also elements to England's play that understandably fell short - given there was no time to schedule a warm-up match for a team who have not played since losing the third Ashes Test to Australia at Headingley in November 2025 under Shaun Wane, McDermott's predecessor.
asserted
who → show → Wane
"I think we did really well, and if you give me another two or three weeks preparation or another couple of games of preparation leading into the tournament, I'd be really excited
asserted
I → think → tournament
," added McDermott, who took charge in April following Wane's departure.
asserted
who → add → departure
England's 'slim chance' to advance down to format
The result means, in order to reach the semi-finals, England will have to defeat France on Saturday (07:35 BST) and Papua New Guinea on Friday, 30 October (09:05 GMT) and also see other results go in their favour.
asserted
results → advance → favour
Their task has been made all the more difficult by Samoa's thumping 78-4 win over France, which means England's points difference is 92 worse than that of Ben Gardiner's team in a combined Pool B and C table.
asserted
difference → make → table
The format features an unbalanced group stage, which has not helped England's prospects.
asserted
which → feature → prospects
Pool A has four teams - Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the Cook Islands - fighting for two semi-final places in a round-robin format.
asserted
A → have → format
But Pools B and C are combined into one six-team league, from which only the top two will make the semi-finals.
asserted
two → combine → finals
England, drawn in Pool B, are playing the three Pool C teams - Tonga, France and Papua New Guinea.
asserted
England → draw → teams
It means that while England are in deep trouble after one defeat, New Zealand still have a strong chance of making the last four despite losing to favourites Australia in a high-quality opening match.
asserted
Zealand → mean → match
"The jeopardy of losing one game is so harsh, it's almost like we don't get another chance to straighten things out," added McDermott.
asserted
McDermott → lose → things
"There's still a slim chance that we get through, and that's something we're focusing on and we're really determined.
asserted
we → be → ?
"New Zealand have lost their first game as well, but they're going to get another go at it and the likelihood is they'll qualify, so their destiny is not lying in other people's hands.
asserted
destiny → lose → hands
That's not the position we find ourselves in."
asserted
we → find → ourselves
McDermott has named an unchanged 19-man squad for the game against France but has confirmed that Warrington's Matty Ashton will start in place of Wigan's Zach Eckersley on the wing.
asserted
Ashton → name → wing
The England head coach made clear he did not want to criticise either the hosts or the organisers for the tournament's unusual format.
asserted
want → make → format
Instead, he pointed out that it resulted from Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea having to step in at short notice after France pulled out of hosting the tournament for financial reasons.
asserted
France → point → reasons
He added: "I'm trying to be diplomatic here.
asserted
I → add → ?
If France had held the World Cup, there would have been more teams in it.
asserted
France → hold → it
It would have had the usual pools for the teams.
asserted
It → have → teams
"You've got to give Australia a lot of credit for taking it on the last minute.
asserted
You → get → minute
"But because they [France] haven't, I completely understand that it has to be reduced to a 10-team competition, which is not the easiest thing to do and then we end up in situations like this."
asserted
we → have → this
The Aporia
