Former St Helens player Jonny Lomax has come to the defense of England's half-back pairing following their challenging start to the Rugby League World Cup. England suffered a surprising 30-12 loss to Tonga in their opening match held in Perth, putting their chances of advancing to the semi-finals in jeopardy.
The match saw England captain George Williams and Wigan’s Harry Smith take key playmaking roles under coach Brian McDermott, who decisively left Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis out of the squad and omitted Leeds’ Jake Connor entirely. Despite the disappointing result, Lomax argued that the criticism directed at Williams and Smith has been excessive.
“George looked dangerous at times," Lomax said, reflecting on England’s performance. “Harry did what Harry does — putting Tonga under pressure and forcing them out of their comfort zone.” He also noted that England controlled significant portions of territorial play, though the game hinged on a few key moments. Notably, several potential tries were thwarted by Tonga’s defense, including timely tackles by Lehi Hopoate.
Lomax emphasized that the final scoreline could have looked considerably different had Tonga’s defensive efforts not been so resolute. “If those try-saving tackles hadn’t been made, we’d be talking about another result altogether,” he explained.
Having previously played under Tonga’s head coach Kristian Woolf at St Helens from 2020 to 2022, Lomax has insight into the strategic approach behind the Pacific Island team’s strong defensive showings. “Woolf demands defensive resilience and teamwork—covering every blade of grass and working hard for each other,” Lomax said. “That level of scramble defense was crucial to Tonga’s success.”
England’s loss places their progression in the tournament in a precarious position, with Tonga and Samoa currently favored to advance from the combined Pool B and Pool C standings. McDermott is expected to announce the lineup for England’s next match against France on Saturday, a critical game for keeping their World Cup bid alive.