England have turned to a panel of past greats in a bid to address the shortcomings that led to both their men and women crashing out of the Rugby League World Cup in the pool stages.

Brian McDermott’s men failed to make the semi-finals for the first time in competition history, with their exit confirmed by Tonga’s narrow win over Samoa in Sydney on Sunday.

England had been beaten by Tonga in their opening game and though they bounced back to thrash France, a clunky performance against Papua New Guinea in Wollongong in their final pool game all but ended their chances.

For the women, meanwhile, the gap to Australia was underscored in a 78-0 humbling, while Samoa were convincing 24-6 winners on Friday.

The twin tournament exits come at a time of tumult for the sport, with negotiations continuing over a proposed deal that will see Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) invest in Super League.

That agreement is expected to come under the proviso that the London Broncos are elevated into a 15-team top tier. Super League currently has no title sponsor, television deal or fixtures for next season.

Recently-appointed Rugby Football League (RFL) chief executive Ian Nolan has in the meantime formed a panel of ex-internationals to consult on the best route forward for the sport in England, noting underperformance stretching back “half a century”.

Former Great Britain captain Paul Sculthorpe will be joined by Jodie Cunningham, who concluded her playing career after leading England at the World Cup, as well as Adrian Morley and Gareth Ellis – both part of the last British team to beat the Kangaroos in 2006. Additional members are yet to be confirmed.

The panel’s analysis remit will be wide-reaching. England’s chances in Australia were not helped by a convoluted format and demanding travel itinerary, while executives have faced criticism after the BBC did not take up rights to the competition, which was instead shown on Premier Sports in the United Kingdom.

“In this World Cup, Brian McDermott and his Men’s squad have delivered two wins from their three games and shown signs of genuine quality,” Nolan, who took up his role four weeks ago, said.

"The 82-0 win over France was as emphatic as anyone could have hoped for and the opening 20 minutes against Papua New Guinea on Friday was similarly impressive. 

"Sadly, we couldn't quite maintain that level throughout, but we still emerged with two wins and were unfortunate, in many ways, to not prosper versus Tonga in our opener. 

"This analysis of our national game will be all encompassing, including how we can influence media rights, balancing reach and revenue, and attracting new audiences.

"But on the pitch, we must look at why we have consistently struggled to make our mark on the world stage for more than half a century; this isn't just a recent problem. “

McDermott was appointed in April but did not have any pre-tournament fixtures with which to work with the squad, and remains based in the NRL as an assistant coach with the Gold Coast Titans.

The semi-finals will be made up of four sides with a heavy NRL influence, with Tonga taking on New Zealand and Samoa facing Australia for a place in the showpiece decider.