ENGLAND’S Rugby League World Cup quarter-final opponents will be sealed tonight.
Barring an unexpected sequence of results, it appears it will be Papua New Guinea who will be making the short trip from their Warrington base to face the host nation in Wigan on Saturday.
In order to secure their last-eight spot, however, there is one more task to complete.
Following their 32-16 win over the Cook Islands at The Halliwell Jones Stadium last Tuesday, the Kumuls face Wales in Doncaster this evening knowing a win will seal the runners-up spot in Group D.
Even a narrow defeat will see them through given the 102-point margin in terms of points difference between themselves and the third-placed Kukis.
Despite defeats in their two games thus far, the door remains slightly ajar for Wales but in order to qualify, they will need to win tonight’s game by at least 22 points.
Tonga have already qualified as group winners with maximum points, setting up a titanic tussle with Samoa in Warrington on Sunday.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here