England's long trip to Perth left them drained before Tonga defeat

England lost their opening Rugby League World Cup match 30-12 to Tonga, and head coach Brian McDermott says the journey to their Perth base left his players worn out. BBC Sport He has refused to use travel as an excuse, but he has not hidden how hard it was.

The tournament is being played across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in October and November. England are in Pool B. They have been drawn against the three Pool C teams, Tonga, France and Papua New Guinea. The two pools have been merged into one six-team league, and only the top two will reach the semi-finals. A slip now leaves very little room.

The travel was the real test before kick-off. The UK-based players took almost 48 hours to reach Western Australia. They went by bus from northern England to London, then flew via Singapore and Sydney. A direct Singapore to Perth flight takes around five hours. McDermott compared the schedule to the 1987 comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles. BBC Sport One Australian outlet called the route a "death route".

McDermott said his squad were exhausted for about three days after arriving. He cut a Monday training session short because players were still carrying the effects of the trip. England managed just two full training sessions before facing Tonga. The match was also played only 14 days after the 2026 Super League Grand Final, which is the domestic league's showpiece, so several players had little time between seasons.

McDermott did not hide behind those facts. He said his side can correct the errors that led to the defeat. BBC Sport He praised Tonga for a committed defensive display. He also described England's attacking ends as "erratic", and said his team had not been chasing points. Sky Sports

Losing a game this early is a heavy weight, McDermott said. He described the jeopardy as so harsh that it can feel as though England will not get another chance to put things right. BBC Sport

Elsewhere in the tournament, Samoa beat France 78-4, a result that shows how quickly the margins can move in a World Cup group. BBC Sport

For readers new to the sport, the key point is simple. England have to win their remaining games and hope results elsewhere go their way. McDermott took charge in April, after Shaun Wane left the role, and his contract runs until the end of this tournament. BBC Sport He is a four-time Super League Grand Final-winning coach and a former Leeds boss, and he named a 38-man squad that included 10 players who had never won an England cap. BBC Sport

Whether England can recover from the start they have had is the question now. Their next result will show whether a rested, more settled group can turn their travel fatigue into a strong run through the pool.