Heat will be off against Papua New Guinea as Gareth Widdop admits England dodged a bullet by playing in Melbourne rather than Port Moresby

  • England take on Papua New Guinea in a World Cup quarter-final on Sunday
  • The match will be held in Melbourne, with the winner likely playing Tonga next
  • England playmaker Gareth Widdop is glad that the game is not in Port Moresby
  • PNG were unbeaten on home soil in three matches earlier in the tournament
  • The weather and the reception will be significantly cooler at AAMI Park

Perhaps the biggest advantage for England when they take on Papua New Guinea in the early hours of Sunday will be that they are doing so in Melbourne and not Port Moresby.

The Kumuls have progressed to the quarter-finals on the back of some rousing performances in front of packed crowds on home soil in a country where rugby league is a religion.

But the knockout clash will take part at what is expected to be a far from full AAMI Park, considerably friendlier surroundings than the baying Oil Search National Football Stadium at which PNG went unbeaten.

Gareth Widdop and his England team-mates take on PNG in Sunday's World Cup quarter-final

Gareth Widdop and his England team-mates take on PNG in Sunday's World Cup quarter-final

The match will be held in Melbourne, where England played Australia in their opening game

The match will be held in Melbourne, where England played Australia in their opening game

It is a point not lost on Gareth Widdop, England's Halifax-born playmaker, who learned his trade at the Melbourne venue after moving Down Under as a teenager.


'I suppose you could say that!' the 28-year-old said when asked if he thought Wayne Bennett's men had dodged a bullet.

'It would have been a lot hotter over there with a big crowd — but it does not matter where we play as long as we turn up and get the job done.'

In an attempt to do just that, Widdop will play at full back for the second week in a row, having been shifted from stand-off for England's victory over France, as Bennett continues to seek a cohesive partnership in the middle of the field.

'It's different,' Widdop said. 'I enjoyed it. I'd not played there for seven years but I'm happy enough playing anywhere. I'll try and do a job whatever my position.'

The door to the final, on December 2, is firmly open for England following Tonga's shock defeat of New Zealand.

Widdop is relieved England don't have to play in Port Moresby, which is a much hotter venue

Widdop is relieved England don't have to play in Port Moresby, which is a much hotter venue

PNG won all three of their group games in Port Moresby, cheered on by a passionate crowd

PNG won all three of their group games in Port Moresby, cheered on by a passionate crowd

Victory over PNG will mean a likely semi-final fixture with the Tongans, with Bennett's men favourites as they are on Sunday.

Is there a feeling within the camp that this could be a first World Cup win in 45 years?

'Definitely,' said Widdop. 'Belief is a big thing. We need to believe in ourselves and each other. We believe we can beat anybody. I've been part of the (England) group for a while and this is the most belief I've seen. We believe in what we are about. The next two weeks will tell us what we are made of.'

Widdop also hailed the spirit among the squad. 'We've had a lot of fun,' he said. 'I thought I was going to be the tour guide but I've got off lightly. There's no separation between players from different teams — all the lads enjoy each other's company.'

Earlier in the tournament, jester scrum-half Luke Gale told Sportsmail that 67– year-old Bennett had bench pressed a heavier weight than Widdop in the gym.

'Well, let's just say that Wayne Bennet squats more than Luke Gale,' responded Widdop. 'I think we are even now.'

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