• Pool B + C: England 34-12 Papua New Guinea

• Women’s side crash out after defeat by Samoa

Game over. Two ultimately straightforward victories from three group games would ordinarily be enough to secure qualification in the Rugby League World Cup, but the format means that, barring a rugby league miracle from Tonga on Sunday, England are heading home early.

That format – 10 teams in lopsided groups and England in a unique position of being effectively out after defeat on the opening weekend – has been a point of discussion since that defeat by the Tongans a fortnight ago. But at some stage, the attention has to turn internally and the tough, uncompromising questions have to be asked of English rugby league.

• Rugby Football League set to ratify elevation imminently

• Partnership with NRL not expected now till 2028

London Broncos have agreed to a condition from the existing 14 Super League clubs that they must relinquish any rights to about £1.3m in central distribution funding if they are to enter the competition in 2027, with the Rugby Football League expected to ratify their elevation imminently.

A partnership between Super League and Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL), which would mean the latter taking administrative control of the English game and injecting tens of millions of pounds of much-needed financial support, is now not expected to begin until 2028. Despite that, the expansion of Super League to 15 teams to include London has moved a step closer.