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England player ratings as stars score 4 in woeful World Cup defeat
AJ Brimson in action for England in their clash with Tonga.
AJ Brimson in action for England in their clash with Tonga.

England are already on the brink of a World Cup exit after a 30-12 defeat to Tonga in the opening game of the Rugby League World Cup. Brian McDermott’s side ultimately went down to the Tongans, with plenty of work to now do if they wish to advance.

Here are the player ratings.

AJ Brimson – 5: Scored the try, was safe under the high ball and provided run threat. But his positioning on both sides of the ball wasn’t good enough.

Dom Young – 8: One of England’s best. Constant threat when carrying the ball, came up with a line break and finished his try well.

Huga Savala – 8: An outstanding debut. Glided across the field, beat players all the time and came up with the break for the first try.

Herbie Farnworth – 6: Given the ball so many times, perhaps too much at times, but always carried a threat.

Zach Eckersley – 5: Came up with an early kick error and found it tough at times but generally held his own.

George Williams – 6: Provided some nice short passes and threw a lovely cut-out ball for Savala’s try. Had his moments.

Harry Smith – 4: Struggled to open up Tonga and came up with an escort play from which Tonga scored two points. Couldn’t impact the game.

Max King – 7: Very strong through the middle. Played big minutes and really took it to the Tongans all evening.

Brad O’Neill – 7: Defended outstandingly. Distributed the ball clean and really helped his side against a very strong pack.

Luke Thompson – 6: Had a huge job on his hands but did it well. Only came on very late for his second stint.

Junior Nsemba – 4: Let the game pass him by. Tonga had no trouble handling him at all and looked fatigued from early on.

Kai Pearce-Paul – 5: Got through tonnes of defensive work but some bad handling errors in attack and didn’t trouble them.

Victor Radley – 5: Has come under some immediate fire and did struggle to link things with the ball. But his work rate was tremendous.

Ethan Havard – 4: Worked hard but came up with two penalties that hurt his side and wasn’t quite as good as he usually is defensively.

Sam Walters – 5: Also came off the bench and had an okay game.

Jez Litten – 6: Looked lively when he came on, but it was too late.

Ben Currie – 5: Only had a short stint. Nothing noticeable.

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