Brian McDermott has coached the final game of his initial England contract, and now a decision needs to be made on his future.

Barring a miracle, England’s World Cup campaign is over and, with that, his one-tournament arrangement with the Rugby Football League has come to an end.

Decision-makers must now decide whether to extend McDermott’s time as head coach or start looking for a successor.

In reality, does it really matter?

We know England’s national team is not a priority in this country, and there is absolutely no sign of that changing any time soon.

There’s no mid-season Test and no room in the schedule for camps. Is it fair to put any coach in that role and expect them to do a good job?

The disadvantage of McDermott as head coach is the fact that he lives and works in Australia with the Gold Coast Titans. But given that contact time isn’t available, it hardly matters. He can watch games and speak to players remotely, which is basically what any domestically based coach would have to do, too.

Whoever takes charge of England in next year’s Test series against the Kiwis will be afforded maybe a fortnight with the group before the first Test. So, whoever is in charge, they won’t be able to influence things to the best of their ability.

Does McDermott deserve another crack?

This is a topic that will cause debate and split opinion.

The reality is that, by failing to qualify for the World Cup semi-finals, England have failed. There is no other way of putting it.

But many will argue that they were destined to fail. As discussed, preparation was severely restricted, with the Super League contingent of players facing a near-48-hour flight to Perth just over a week before the fatal defeat to Tonga.

The format was awful and badly hurt England’s prospects, too.

At the same time, you have to say McDermott’s plan to change England’s style of play, while aesthetically pleasing, didn’t deliver the outcomes that were expected. Ultimately, England were still poor in good ball for the vast majority of the tournament, just as they were during last year’s Ashes series.

But was it ever realistic to think he would have the time he needed?

You can go back and forth on it forever, but ultimately, it feels like the identity of the head coach is the last of England’s worries.