A shame, it looks set to be an exciting, slick affair in the rain.

England are already pushing through Kallum Watkins on the right side.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport at AJ Bell Stadium

A sell-out, it is not.

Fiji kick the ball clear almost immediately and both Dom Young and Andy Ackers get some early touches for England, driving things forward.

Their set ends with Fiji pinned under their own posts. Great start for the hosts.

Goosebumps. Rugby League is very lucky to have Fiji.

Back to the action and England kick us off.

The Fijian players form a huddle to perform the blessing Noqu Masu.

It sounds beautiful.

Image source, SWPIX

The national anthems are impeccably observed. Here we go then.

The teams are out. Shamoon's right, it looks very wet in Salford.

Image source, Getty Images

Tonight's meeting will be the first since the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. England were the victors on that occasion, with Ryan Hall scoring two during a 34-12 win.

Nine years later, the Hull KR winger and England's all-time leading try scorer will once again face the Fijians as he prepares to appear in a third World Cup for his country.

"I'm getting to the stage where a lot of people are questioning me," Hall, 34, told the BBC Radio 5 Live Rugby League podcast.

"But the coach is in charge of that and he's put his faith in me again, I think because of the work I have done in the Super League."

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport at AJ Bell Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

It was absolutely tipping it down a few minutes ago, drenching players and officials on the pitch in the warm-up.

But the rain has already cleared up like it was never here.

One man who will be happy with the downpour is England's Marc Sneyd.

The half-back is making his debut on home turf and will know the dimensions of the pitch like the back of his hand.

His trusty kicking game will be pivotal in tricky conditions.

Image source, SWPIX.COM

On Thursday Warrington half-back George Williams said it was an "unreal feeling" to be named captain of England for the first time.

The 27-year-old will stand in for first-choice skipper Sam Tomkins, who is being rested.

"It's an unreal feeling. I think it will be the pinnacle of my career to captain my country," said ex-Wigan Warriors and Canberra Raiders playmaker Williams.

"It's something that I'll cherish and I'm really looking forward to leading this great group out."

Tomkins missed games with a knee problem in the closing weeks of the Super League campaign, but the Catalans Dragons full-back told BBC Sport last week that he will be fit and "ready" for the start of the World Cup.

England and Fiji aren't the only sides warming up for the World Cup tonight.

Jamaica are getting set for their Rugby League World Cup debut and they are taking on Cumbria, for whom this is an important night too.

You can read about Cumbria's preparations for their first representative match in 11 years here and listen to live radio commentary from BBC Radio Cumbria using this link.

Earlier today, the Rugby Football League announced that chief executive Ralph Rimmer will not face formal disciplinary action over comments he made about the Fiji team at the Championship and League One awards dinner last month.

The matter was investigated and it was found that Rimmer's comments "fell within the wide definition of unacceptable language" but any insult to Fiji or the national team was "unintended" and that a "fulsome apology" by Rimmer had been accepted by the team and its federation.

Rimmer had announced before the incident that he would be leaving his position at the end of the year.

Image source, Getty Images

Fiji have never beaten England having lost all three of their previous meetings, but they can rely on some talented players who might be quite familiar to Super League fans.

Current Salford forward King Vuniyayawa starts alongside Kevin Naiqama, who had a successful spell with St Helens.

Naiqama lifted the Challenge Cup and Super League trophy, as well as winning the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man of the match in a Grand Final.

He will return to Super League in 2023 after signing a two-year deal with the Huddersfield Giants.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport at AJ Bell Stadium

Image source, SWPIX

Standing at 6ft 7in and weighing 16st 12lbs, new England winger Dom Young is an absolute man mountain.

The 21-year-old would have played for heritage country Jamaica had the World Cup taken place last year, but earned a first call-up to his home country of England for the World Cup.

He left Huddersfield in 2020 because of a lack of opportunities, joining NRL side Newcastle Knights, and now wants to show what the Giants are missing out on.

"I think I do have a point to prove here because there's a lot of people here who probably haven't seen me play live," he told me.

"I definitely want to prove to them what I can do, show what I can do and make my mark in the World Cup.

"I'm not too bothered about impressing people, I'm just going to get my head down and do what I normally do on the field."

Like the look of those teams then?

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The teams are in with Dom Young, Andy Ackers, Marc Sneyd and Victor Radley set to make their first appearances for England.

Worth pointing out though these won't be classed as caps as this isn't an official Test match.

England's interchanges are Liam Marshall, Sam Powell, Luke Thompson, Tom Burgess, Micky McIlorum, Joe Batchelor, Harry Smith, Jake Wardle and Kai Pearce-Paul.

George Williams will captain the side. More on that later...

Here we go.

England open the World Cup against Samoa in Newcastle in just eight days.

Shaun Wane's team are taking on Fiji in 30 minutes in their only warm-up match at Salford's AJ Bell Stadium.

It's also only the fourth time England have played since ex-Wigan coach Wane succeeded Wayne Bennett in February 2020.

Will his side be up to speed? Let's do this.