Scotland winger Lachlan Walmsley and Italian forward Ryan King have taken aim at the shortened format of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, questioning the tournament's direction after a series of blowout scorelines.
The tournament has been reduced from 16 nations in 2022 to just 10 teams this year, leaving Wales, Scotland, Italy, Greece, Jamaica and Ireland without a place on the world stage.
All six nations failed to progress beyond the group stages at the previous World Cup, but the decision to exclude them has come under renewed scrutiny following several one-sided results in the opening weeks of the tournament.
Australia's clash against Fiji was the closest contest of week two, with the Kangaroos still prevailing by 14 points. Elsewhere, Tonga defeated Lebanon 36-0, Samoa thrashed Papua New Guinea 64-6, and New Zealand put 82 points past the Cook Islands in an 82-16 victory.
However, it was England's emphatic 82-0 demolition of France that sparked Walmsley's frustration, with the Scotland international questioning why his nation had been denied the opportunity to compete.
“So Scotland, Wales, Italy and Ireland don't get to compete in this World Cup, but a poor man's England win by 80 points… it's a joke this,” the Bradford Bulls recruit posted on X.
“I want to represent my family but can't. What a waste of time.”
Walmsley, a four-time Scotland international who will join Bradford in 2027, also drew comparisons with his nation's previous World Cup campaign, arguing the current format was moving the international game backwards.
“What are we doing? Scotland played Fiji in 2022, and it finished 30-14… now we play England 2nds v French 3rds and it finishes 82-0. Turn it off,” Wamsley posted on his X.
His comments were backed by King, a five-time Italian international who previously spent time in the Cronulla Sharks system in 2017 before continuing his career overseas.
King did not hold back in his assessment of the tournament's structure, agreeing with Walmsley's criticism of the decisions surrounding qualification and participation.
“Thank f(***) someone said it, whole set-up is s***,” he commented under the post.
The Italian forward also highlighted the potential opportunities being lost by excluding emerging nations and their players from the competition.
“We're missing an opportunity for a lot of unknown players to show it on the world stage; it just seems to be going backwards." King continued
Walmsley echoed that sentiment, pointing to the potential for international tournaments to transform careers and provide lesser-known players with opportunities to reach the highest levels of the game.
“I know a bloke playing for Whitehaven ⅘ years ago, going on to win a Super League Grand Final all because he got a chance on a world stage; it just seems to be going backwards," Walmsley added.
The criticism adds to growing concerns surrounding the tournament's structure, with England coach Brian McDermott also expressing frustration over the pool format last week.
England's heavy victory over France came after McDermott had voiced his concerns about the consequences of their first match to Tonga in a three-team group, arguing the format leaves little room for recovery.
“The jeopardy of losing one game in a pool of three is so harsh, it's almost like we don't get another chance to straighten things out,” McDermott told the media ahead of their clash against France.
With questions now being raised by players and coaches alike, the debate surrounding the World Cup's format has begun to overshadow the positive results and player achievements of this year's tournament.
