Visa problems for players, an "unfair" draw - not much has gone right for the PNG rugby league team before the World Cup.

But judging by coach Adrian Lam's pre-Cup address to his team, punters should feel sorry for their first round opponents England - not the Kumuls.

Barely a week away from PNG's October 25 World Cup opener against England at Townsville, Lam is still sweating on the arrival of 11 of his 25-strong squad.

They won't arrive at their Cairns base until Saturday morning after they struck visa problems in PNG.

Once he does collect all of his players, Lam must plot a way for the Kumuls to survive the World Cup's "group of death".

The 2000 Cup quarter-finalists have been pooled with heavyweights Australia, England and New Zealand.

Three teams from the pool move into the semi-finals - but no one expects PNG to be one of them.

However, Lam is hardly looking for sympathy.

Indeed, the dire circumstances have the ex-PNG skipper fired up judging by the transcript of his address at the Kumuls' farewell reception at Port Moresby.

Lam broke down and had to compose himself during the passionate speech.

"No one cares about us and I did everything I could to change the draw," he said on Wednesday night.

"I argued with them (Cup organisers) for three hours but got nowhere.

"At the end of the day I accepted it and we as a team embraced the idea.

"We will be stronger, we won't be broken and we will give it to them, the British.

"After everything I want to close the door and cry and see the faces of my players and say `we achieved something'."

Lam skippered PNG at their best World Cup result to date - the 2000 quarter-finals - and wanted the Kumuls to draw inspiration from it.

"We gave everything we could. It was a special moment for me back then," he said at the farewell.

"Now I am asking from the bottom of my heart for the Kumuls to understand that special things come to special people and we will stay positive and play hard for the country."

Lam was a tad more understated as he patiently waited for the rest of his squad but still maintained the rage over their tough draw.

"I just thought it was a little unfair," he told AAP.

"We were put in there without being consulted first.

"We weren't pulled out of a hat and drawn out, they just plonked us in there and said `do your best'.

"It's disappointing for any Pacific country to be put in that pool, especially with so many homegrown players in our team.

"We are in a tough pool but we have embraced it now."

PNG will back themselves against an England team at steamy Townsville.

England have prepared for the north Queensland heat but 15 of the 24-strong squad have only had one hour each in heat chambers due to English Super League finals commitments.

Lam revealed Townsville was "just as good" as playing at home.

He said rugby league was "like a religion" in PNG and laughed that a public holiday would be declared if they won a World Cup match.

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