PAPUA New Guinea’s hopes of reaching the Rugby League World Cup finals have been dashed after England defeated the PNG Kumuls 34-12 in their Round Three clash at WIN Stadium in Wollongong. The result sends England through to the finals and brings the Kumuls’ tournament campaign to an end.
England dominated the first half, scoring four tries before the break to establish a 24-0 lead. Although PNG lifted their performance after half-time and managed two tries, the deficit proved too much to overcome against an English outfit that controlled the match.
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| England Crush PNG Kumuls’ Finals Hopes With 34-12 World Cup Win |
The English attack began with Matty Ashton crossing in the fifth minute, followed by AJ Brimson six minutes later. Dominic Young extended the advantage in the 18th minute, while Harry Smith added another try before half-time.
Morgan Knowles and Mikey Lewis also found their way over the try line, taking England's tally to six for the match.
PNG had to wait until the second half to make their presence felt on the scoreboard. Dudley Dotoi broke through for the Kumuls in the 44th minute, with Gairo Voro adding another try six minutes later.
Rhys Martin converted both tries, while Hugo Savala had earlier contributed four successful conversions and a penalty goal. Despite those efforts, the Kumuls could not match England's scoring rate.
England finished the match with 34 points against PNG’s 12, completing a convincing victory in front of the Wollongong crowd.
The defeat ends Papua New Guinea’s involvement in the tournament, with England now turning their attention to the finals as they continue their pursuit of the Rugby League World Cup title.