Four-try Young stars for England again

Newcastle flyer Dom Young has enhanced his new cult-figure status at the World Cup, clocking up four more tries to spearhead England's most facile of triumphs over Greece.

The Knights' star roared to the top of the 2022 competition's try-scoring lists as he sped over four times in the first half with the hosts going on to seal a record-breaking 94-4 victory at Sheffield's Bramall Lane on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).

But England will hope their 17-try romp hasn't come at a cost as their Roosters' star Victor Radley - for whom the game was a homecoming with about 50 of his family in attendance - had to come off in the first half with an arm injury.   

Young improved his astonishing record in just his third official England appearance by taking his tally to eight tries as England, while just missing out on a three-figure points haul, eclipsed their previous record World Cup victory, a 76-4 rout of Russia in 2000.

Young's performances seems sure to earn him a place in England's quarter-final, set to be against Papua New Guinea, despite the huge competition for the wing spots, with the ever-prolific Ryan Hall scoring two more and Tommy Makinson going over at stand-in fullback.

"Dom's playing really well and he trains well. He's quiet off the field but he knows how to score and how to carry out of yardage. He's a talent, no doubt about it," shrugged England coach Shaun Wane, saying he more or less knows his last-eight line-up.

"I'm fairly close," he said. "Everybody has played now but I will pick the 17 players who can get us a win against Papua New Guinea."

After doubles in his debut against Samoa and then also against France, the 21-year-old Young was soon at it again when he latched on to John Bateman's basketball-style pass to go over in the right-hand corner after just four minutes.

George Williams' long cut-out pass found him for a simple second but his hat-trick try demonstrated barnstorming strength as he barrelled through  Siteni Taukamo, the last line of defence, and ploughed to the line.

Within three minutes, he'd been eased in for a fourth and he looked odds-on favourite to go on to match Valentine Holmes's record of six tries in a single World Cup match.

But while he also set up a second-half try for Mike McMeeken, Young hardly saw any of the ball after the break as all his colleagues seemingly wanted to get in on the scoring act against the game but hopelessly outclassed World Cup debutants.

Hall, Andy Ackers and Tom Burgess all went over twice, while player of the match Marc Sneyd finished the game with a 30-point haul from a try and 13 conversions.

Hall's double on the other wing to Young means he now has 39 tries in 40 Tests and has moved to second on the international all-time list behind Australian great Billy Slater. 

There were also tries for Matty Lees, Williams and Makinson while the hopelessly outgunned Greeks could at least savour crossing the English line in the first half through Taukamo.

It completed a memorable tournament for the 18-year-old Australian-born Taukamo, who'd put his HSC exams on hold to represent his country. 

He departs with the memory of also having scored Greece's first-ever World Cup try against France.