England Dominate PNG Kumuls to Take 24-0 Half-Time Lead at Rugby League World Cup

PAPUA New Guinea's Kumuls face an uphill battle after England produced a commanding first-half performance to establish a 24-0 lead in their Rugby League World Cup Round Three clash at WIN Stadium in Wollongong on Friday.

England crossed for four tries in the opening 20 minutes, exposing the Kumuls' defensive weaknesses and putting the home side under enormous pressure before the half-time break.

Matty Ashton opened the scoring in the fifth minute before AJ Brimson extended England's advantage six minutes later. Dominic Young added another try in the 18th minute, while Harry Smith crossed just two minutes afterwards to give England a commanding 20-0 lead.

Hugo Savala successfully converted three of England's four tries, with goals in the sixth, 12th and 21st minutes. He later added a penalty goal in the 39th minute to take the score to 24-0.

The Kumuls now face a difficult second-half challenge as they look to recover from the deficit and find a way back into the contest.

At the break, England lead Papua New Guinea 24-0.