If we assume there are no upsets then out of the 12 games the winner would play, 7 would be against SL sides, 2 against championship sides, 2 against Elite sides and 1 against a developing nation.

The poorest sides would only be in the competition for 3 weeks, if they were getting their s handed to them (which may very well be the case, it may very well not) then its not difficult to not televise that game. It would be pretty easy to guarantee that each match day had at least one game between teams of a similar level. If it isn’t SL playing SL or the top of the Championship, it can be the top of the championship v the top of Elite one.

World 9s every two years with the top 20 teams in the rankings competing and with a different host every time. The Aussies may whinge about more matches, but they wouldn't have to play all their stars and it helps the smaller nations play on the big stage and we wouldn't see huge thrashings.

Or even a Euro 9s with 16 teams.

seeing as any GB tour would be a bit pointless currently (and Celtic inclusions would only decrease the quality of the england team bar danny brough) i'd like to build on the potential of the US ( and Canada down the line) and have a four year cycle of:

1. WC
2. 4N Oceania Aus/NZ/Eng/Fiji* with the pacific cup 4N running parallel (double headers possibly) of Samoa, Tonga, PNG, Cook Islands
3. 4N Americas Aus/Nz/Eng/USA* with an 'Atlantic' tri-nations of Canada, Jamaica and South Africa
4. 4N Europe Aus/NZ/Eng/Sco* with the European cup 4N of France, Wales, Italy and Ireland

*chosen as highest ranked in the last WC

i'd have at least one game hosted by the qualifying 'fourth team' in the 4N and think having double headers with the tier 2 comps curtain raising the 4N would hopefully give the heritage and full time players that tend to pick and choose more reason to play when its in big stadiums and (ideally) on tv in some capacity. The tier 2 comps would run every year and when not hosting a 4N would operate with one extra team eg. Euro 5N

I'm rather tired after a long shift so i hope that made sense..

But having them play SL academy teams elevates their standing?

Let's ask the governing bodies of these nations what they want and what the RFL might be able to do to help them. If they can get together amongst themselves and find some common ground and ways of collaborating, then that is a starting point.

The RFL should facilitate and offer support, not write the blueprint and expect everyone to fall in line. Especially if they've been taking the same powerful mind-altering drugs that I fear somebody has slipped in your tea, Smokester.

If, for example, Italy want to go on tour and play PNG and some Queensland Cup teams, while Ireland and Scotland fancy a Home and Away 2-test series against each other, and Wales can persuade a New Zealand Māori XVII to come over for a game, then that's up to them. Or perhaps they do just want the English to organise them and tell them what to do - foreigners do so like that after all!