The brothers and their dad driving England's World Cup bid

"It's the hardest thing that I've ever done from a work perspective," Tom Coyd said, "but also the most rewarding".

Coyd is discussing the unusual challenge he faces as head coach of England's wheelchair rugby league team - he has to manage his younger brother Joe.

By their own admission, the family dynamic can make for some tense moments.

But it worked four years ago as England won the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup. And on Friday, they hope to win the trophy again by beating great rivals France in the final in Wollongong, Australia (08:45 GMT).

"It's taught me loads about how to be a good brother and loads about how to be a good coach," said Tom, who has been England head coach since 2020. "Hopefully Joe agrees. But it is an interesting dynamic.

"I think there's a reason it doesn't happen very often because it can be really difficult. But in our quirky ways, Joe and I find a way to make it function.

"So it can be something that is a bit strange, but we make it work. And I think the team gets a lot out of it when we do get it right."

Joe was part of the England set-up before his older brother, playing at the 2013 World Cup as a 15-year-old, and now taking part in his fourth tournament.

He has been a key figure in England's run to the final - scoring in every game as they have beaten Wales, the USA, Ireland and Australia - and earning a spot on the eight-strong shortlist in the wheelchair category for the International Rugby League (IRL) Golden Boot award.

"I know I'm in a very lucky and privileged place to to be able to do the things that we get to do alongside my family," Joe said.

"When we don't get it right, it's just because we care, and we've probably got that familiarity with each other, where sometimes we're probably a bit shorter with each other.

"We might say things differently to how I might say them to one of the team-mates or another member of staff because I've grown up alongside Tom.

"But it's great. It's so cool to do it. I don't know another place where we get this opportunity, so we do our best to make the most of it."

Wheelchair rugby league runs through the Coyd family: Father Martin was an England international, played a significant role in the sport's development, and is now the team's general manager as well as a member of the Rugby Football League board.

"He's been out here busy fulfilling his responsibilities as a RFL board member," Tom said.

"But he's been doing that alongside getting oily and repairing wheelchair parts and getting his hands dirty. So he's been in the thick of it and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"I think all of the kind of peaks and troughs that come with competition, he tends to ride those waves very steadily.

"And as someone who's been at the head of the team for over a decade, he sets the standard and drives the culture. He does a good job for us."

Friday's match will be the fourth successive Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup final to be contested between England and France.

The previous three finals have all been tight - France triumphed 42-40 in Gillingham in 2013, and 38-34 in Perpignan in 2017, before England clinched a dramatic 28-24 win in Manchester four years ago.

"That's World Cup and Test match football, isn't it?" Joe said. "And France have been one of the leaders of the game internationally since it began. Every time we play them it's a great contest."

Joe features as one of England's non-disabled players - two of whom are allowed per five-strong team on court at any one time under wheelchair rugby league rules.

They will take on a France side who have also won all four of their matches on the way to the final - defeating Scotland, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland.

Their most experienced player is captain Gilles Clausells, a scorer in the 82-26 semi-final win over Ireland at the age of 63, and still playing despite having vowed to retire after each of the past two World Cups.

"We know how hungry they are and we know how hungry we are," Joe said. "So I've got no doubt it's going to be an amazing clash on Friday. And both teams will be up for it."

Joe Coyd and his England team-mate Rob Hawkins both made the shortlist in the wheelchair category for the IRL Golden Boot award - given to the world's best rugby league player over the calendar year.

"I'm so proud of Rob and Joe for being acknowledged, and they've spoken about how it's their team-mates that have got them there, as you'd expect," Tom said.

"They're humble characters and that's what got them in this position. But yeah, I think they've both had fantastic tournaments and they've worked incredibly hard."

Australia full-back Reece Walsh and his New Zealand counterpart Kalyn Ponga are both in contention for the men's award. New Zealand centre Stacey Waaka - scorer of a hat-trick in their 32-0 semi-final win over Samoa - is up for the women's award. Other contenders include Australia winger Abbi Church, who replaced the injured Julia Robinson to score four times in their 30-14 semi-final win over Fiji.

The winners of all three awards will be announced in Brisbane on Thursday.