'We're ready for it': Sam Tomkins backs England to step up to biggest World Cup challenge to date

Shaun Wane's side scored a tournament-high 196 points on their way to the knockout rounds, swatting aside Samoa, France and Greece with consummate ease.

England's reward for topping Group A is a quarter-final date with Papua New Guinea at Wigan's DW Stadium.

PNG are fresh from victories over the Cook Islands and Wales after running 2017 semi-finalists Tonga close in their opening game.

Tomkins is viewing the clash with the hard-hitting Kumuls as an opportunity for England to truly hit their straps.

“We’ve started really well with three convincing wins but this is certainly our toughest test,” he said.

"We're ready for it. It’s gone as well as we could have hoped but we’ve got a lot of improvement in us.

"In each one of those three games there have been areas where we can improve.”

Papua New Guinea lost to England at the same stage of the 2017 World Cup but overwhelmed Great Britain three years ago, a chastening defeat that serves as a warning to Wane's men.

Tomkins, who did not play that day but can draw on his experience of facing PNG in 2010, has stressed that England must win the battle up front to limit the influence of halves pairing Lachlan Lam and Kyle Laybutt.

“They’re a physical side,” said the full-back. “If we let their middles be dominant, they’ve got some big outside backs and their half-backs are pivotal.

“They like to run the ball and they kick very well so we need to do a job on their middles and give their half-backs as little time as possible.”

After rotating his squad during the group stage to give all 24 players game time, Wane is ready to hit Papua New Guinea with everything England have got.

Tomkins was among those rested for the clash with minnows Greece, having also sat out the warm-up game against Fiji, as he continues to manage a troublesome knee issue.

But the 33-year-old insisted he is ready to play out the rest of the tournament in a bid to help England to a second consecutive final appearance.

“It was always the plan that I wouldn’t play the Greece game and I certainly wasn’t needed,” said Tomkins.

“The boys had a great hit-out and personally I’m fresh.

"We’re not underestimating Papua New Guinea so we’re going to play our strongest side and there are players that aren’t in the 17 who are well capable of getting in many national sides.

“Injuries in our game are inevitable and I’m sure we’ll pick some up over the next few weeks but we’ve got a very strong 24 so whichever 17 goes out will be well capable.”

England ran in 17 tries in the record 94-4 rout of Greece and were adventurous throughout the group stage.

Tomkins admitted England may have to temper their instincts if rain hits the DW Stadium, something they are accustomed to.

"We'll probably have to be a bit more conservative," he said.

"A lot of the big games at the end of the Super League season are played in these conditions so all the players are used to that sort of weather.

"It'll dictate how we play a little bit but the principles will still be the same."

Victory in Wigan would pit England against the winners of Sunday’s Pacific showdown between Samoa and Tonga, a match Tomkins will attend as a summariser for the BBC.

“They are two dangerous sides,” he said.

“Hopefully they have a tough contest and cause some damage to whoever wins to make it a bit easier for us the following weekend.”

England took advantage of an underdone Samoa on their way to a 60-6 victory on the opening weekend but Matt Parish's team have since found their form.

Tomkins knows it would be an altogether different challenge should the teams cross paths again at the Emirates Stadium in London.

“We’re not naive enough to think that we’d go on and win by 54 points,” he said. "I don’t believe that would be the case.

“They’ve improved significantly since and they’ll improve between now and the semi-finals if they do get there.

"Whoever we’re playing we’ll be ready.”

Meanwhile, Tomkins has welcomed the flying start made by England’s wheelchair team to their World Cup in overpowering Australia 38-8 at the Copperbox on Thursday night.

“It was brilliant to see,” added the England captain, whose side are playing second in Wigan following the game between the women’s team and Canada.

“It couldn’t have gone any better for the full England set-up. We’ve won three, the women have won and so have the wheelchair team, and not forgetting the PDRL team who have already won a World Cup.

“For England it’s been a great few weeks and hopefully we can continue that.”