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England vs Tonga Tips & Preview - Farnworth to star in England Rugby League World Cup win

andrew-hendrie
Andrew Hendrie
Editor
Last updated: Thu 15 Oct 2026 14:33
England face Tonga in their opening 2026 Rugby League World Cup clash, aiming to continue a winning streak against their opponents. Despite recent struggles, Tonga arrive with a strong squad but poor form, having lost eight of their last nine internationals. England’s Herbie Farnworth is highlighted as a potential tryscorer. The match is expected to have under 37.5 total points, with England seen as underdogs but historically dominant in the fixture. The key recommendation is to back England for the win and expect a low-scoring game.
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  • England have a six-game winning streak against Tonga and are predicted to win again in their World Cup opener.
  • Recent form favors England, while Tonga have lost eight of their last nine international games.
  • Herbie Farnworth is highlighted as a likely tryscorer, with the match expected to feature under 37.5 total points.
herbie farnworth england
Herbie Farnworth to star for England (Getty Images)


England vs Tonga Verdict


England have won six straight against Tonga and can extend that run in their opening game of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup. Herbie Farnworth will be key for England can get a try in Perth.
  • England have won 14 of their last 18 internationals
  • Tonga have lost eight of their last nine internationals
  • England have seen Under 37.5 points in two of their last three internationals
  • Tonga have seen Under 37.5 points in four of their last seven internationals
  • The last four meetings have seen Under 37.5 points
  • Herbie Farnworth has scored six tries in nine internationals for England - he also scored 15 tries in 25 games for the Dolphins this season
  • Robert Toia scored a try in five of his last six games of the NRL season

Head To Head

England have dominated this matchup, winning all seven previous meetings between the nations - including a 3-0 sweep of a three-game Test series in 2023.

England Form

England are yet to win a World Cup as a single nation, but they did prevail three times as Great Britain in 1954, 1960 and 1972.

The Three Lions finished runner-up to Australia in 2017, while they suffered a heartbreaking semi-final elimination at home in 2022, going down 27-26 to Samoa after throttling them 60-6 in the group stage.

Brian McDermott's side were last in action during the 2025 Ashes Series against Australia, losing the series 3-0, failing to score more than eight points in all three defeats.

Tonga Form

For all of the talent and firepower in this Tongan side, they are yet to put it all together - at least consistently - on the international stage.

Tonga's best performance at a World Cup came in 2017, when they beat New Zealand in the group stage before falling 20-18 to England in the semi-finals.

Mate Ma'a Tonga lost another two-point heartbreaker against Samoa in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals before suffering a 0-3 series blitz against England the following year.

Some poor performances in recent Pacific Championships matches means Tonga arrive at this World Cup having lost eight of their last nine matches.

Team News

George Williams and Harry Smith are the halves for England, with Gold Coast Titans fullback AJ Brimson starting at fullback.

Plenty of strike in the backline, with Dom Young and Hugo Savala recently playing in the NRL Grand Final, while Farnworth played a starring role in the Dolphins reaching a first preliminary final.

Victor Radley is coming off a premiership triumph for the Roosters and starts at lock.

There's plenty of speed in a Tongan backline that features Lehi Hopoate, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak,  Tolutau Koula, Robert Toia and Jojo Fifita.

Addin Fonua-Blake, Jason Taumalolo and Haumole Olakau’atu spearhead a fearsome forward pack, with the likes of Stefano Utoikamanu and Leka Halasima coming off the bench.

Verdict

England are backed as underdogs in a match that features Under 37.5 total points. Herbie & Toia are the anytime tryscorer picks.

Best Bet1: England Win Match Result @6/5 at bet365 - 2 Units
Best Bet2: Under 37.5 Total Points @11/12 at dabble - 1 Unit
Best Bet3: Herbie Farnworth Anytime Tryscorer @7/5 at Star Sports - 1 Unit
Best Bet4: Robert Toia Anytime Tryscorer @6/4 at Hollywoodbets - 1 Unit
England Win
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andrew-hendrie
Andrew Hendrie

Sports Editor • 20+ years betting experience

Andrew has been writing about sports for over a decade now after graduating with a double degree in 2013. In that time he has covered a wide range of sports, including NRL, AFL, Football (soccer), Tennis, NBA, NFL and more.


As a fan of Manchester City (since the 90s, he’s not a bandwagoner so they say), Canterbury Bulldogs and the Newcastle Jets, he’s experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows throughout the last few years.

You can find Andy at Muckrack and X.

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