England vs Papua New Guinea team news is in for the Rugby League World Cup 2026. England coach Brian McDermott has made two changes for the must-win match at WIN Stadium in Wollongong, with kick-off at 9:05 AM GMT (8:05 PM AEDT) on Friday 30 October. Jez Litten starts at hooker and Morgan Knowles returns, while Brad O'Neill drops to the reserves. For the score, open England vs Papua New Guinea live.
England vs PNG line-ups
| No. | England | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AJ Brimson | Zac Laybutt |
| 2 | Dom Young | Robert Derby |
| 3 | Hugo Savala | Joshua Feledy |
| 4 | Herbie Farnworth | Nene Macdonald |
| 5 | Matty Ashton | Dudley Dotoi |
| 6 | George Williams | Gairo Voro |
| 7 | Harry Smith | Bailey Biondi-Odo |
| 8 | Max King | Epel Kapinias |
| 9 | Jez Litten | Edwin Ipape |
| 10 | Luke Thompson | Luca Moretti |
| 11 | Junior Nsemba | Rhyse Martin |
| 12 | Kai Pearce-Paul | Nixon Putt |
| 13 | Morgan Knowles | Liam Horne |
England interchange: Mikey Lewis, Sam Walters, Ethan Havard, Victor Radley, Ben Currie, Jack Welsby. Reserves: Brad O'Neill, Zach Eckersley, Kallum Watkins.
PNG interchange: Finley Glare, Jacob Taulani, Robert Mathias, Sanny Wabo, Valentine Richard, Zev John. Reserves: Morea Morea, Rodrick Tai, Alex Max.
Teams name six interchange players, but only four can come on. England's coach has made late changes to his squad before both of their games, so confirm the final line-ups on the official RLWC 2026 site before kick-off.
England team news
- Jez Litten of Hull KR starts at hooker in place of Brad O'Neill, who was named Super League player of the year and started the first two games.
- Morgan Knowles returns at lock after missing the first two matches with a calf injury. He was a late withdrawal before the Tonga game.
- Victor Radley moves to the bench.
- Matty Ashton keeps his place on the wing, and Zach Eckersley is again not in the 19.
- George Williams and Harry Smith continue in the halves, and Hugo Savala and Herbie Farnworth are again the centres.
Papua New Guinea team news
Coach Jason Demetriou has reshuffled the backline after the 64–6 loss to Samoa.
- Zac Laybutt moves to fullback.
- Joshua Feledy and Nene Macdonald form a new centre pairing, with Morea Morea and Rodrick Tai out of the 17.
- Luca Moretti returns at prop, and Liam Horne starts at lock because Jack De Belin is out with a rib injury.
- Valentine Richard moves to the bench, and Jacob Taulani, Sanny Wabo and Robert Mathias are on the interchange.
England vs PNG prediction
Our prediction: England to win, and by a big margin. England beat France 82–0 and have the stronger squad. PNG lost 64–6 to Samoa and have changed their backline. But England's problem is not only winning: they trail Samoa by 68 points on points difference, so the margin matters. PNG are a proud side playing in a co-hosted tournament, and they beat Lebanon 42–18 in round one. This is editorial opinion, not betting advice.
What England need
England must beat Papua New Guinea, then hope Tonga beat Samoa on 1 November. If Samoa win, England are out, because of their inferior head-to-head record against Tonga. If Tonga win, points difference between England and Samoa decides it, and England trail Samoa by 68 points going into this game. That means England need a big win, as BBC Sport reports.
Kick-off time in your timezone
| Region | Local time (Friday 30 October) |
|---|---|
| Australia, Sydney and Wollongong (AEDT) | 8:05 PM |
| Australia, Brisbane (AEST) | 7:05 PM |
| Australia, Perth (AWST) | 5:05 PM |
| Papua New Guinea | 7:05 PM |
| New Zealand (NZDT) | 10:05 PM |
| Fiji | 9:05 PM |
| Tonga and Samoa | 10:05 PM |
| Bangladesh | 3:05 PM |
| India | 2:35 PM |
| Pakistan | 2:05 PM |
| South Africa | 11:05 AM |
| France (CET) | 10:05 AM |
| United Kingdom (GMT) | 9:05 AM |
| USA Eastern (EDT) | 5:05 AM |
| USA Pacific (PDT) | 2:05 AM |
UK and French clocks went back on 25 October, so England fans in the UK are on GMT. US clocks do not change until 1 November.
Where to watch
- United Kingdom: Premier Sports 1 and Premier Player. BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds also have live commentary on men's matches.
- Australia: Seven, free-to-air, and 7plus Sport, free with an account.
- New Zealand: Sky Sport, and ThreeNow for free-to-air coverage.
- Ireland, USA and Canada: Premier Sports.
- Everywhere else: check the official RLWC 2026 site.
More on England vs Papua New Guinea
Frequently asked questions
Who is in the England team to play Papua New Guinea?
England: AJ Brimson; Dom Young, Hugo Savala, Herbie Farnworth, Matty Ashton; George Williams, Harry Smith; Max King, Jez Litten, Luke Thompson, Junior Nsemba, Kai Pearce-Paul, Morgan Knowles. Brad O'Neill is in the reserves.
Who is in the Papua New Guinea team to play England?
PNG: Zac Laybutt; Robert Derby, Joshua Feledy, Nene Macdonald, Dudley Dotoi; Gairo Voro, Bailey Biondi-Odo; Epel Kapinias, Edwin Ipape, Luca Moretti, Rhyse Martin, Nixon Putt, Liam Horne. Jack De Belin is out with a rib injury.
What are the England changes for PNG?
Jez Litten replaces Brad O'Neill at hooker, and Morgan Knowles returns at lock after a calf injury, with Victor Radley moving to the bench. Matty Ashton keeps his wing spot.
Who will win England vs Papua New Guinea?
Our prediction is an England win, and a big one. England beat France 82–0 and PNG lost 64–6 to Samoa. But England need a large margin, so the scoreline matters as much as the result. This is editorial opinion, not betting advice.
What time is England vs PNG?
Kick-off is 9:05 AM GMT on Friday 30 October 2026 at WIN Stadium in Wollongong, which is 8:05 PM AEDT and 3:05 PM in Bangladesh.