So you don't think he'd be slightly envious and disappointed when in 2020 England play Australia in a three match series and he can't play, despite having toured and played with the bulk of those England players the previous year?

It's not a question of him not being proud to be Welsh - it's about wanting to play at the highest possible level and test yourself against the best in the biggest games and in front of big crowds. He won't get that playing for Wales RL.

I don't know how he feels so I'm only hypothesising, but if I was him I'd be disappointed to play for Great Britain one year and then be back in the Wales team thereafter. One year you're playing in front of 40000 in Brisbane, the next you're playing in front of 1000 in Wrexham.

Well, "England" won't, but most of the England players presumably will because they will make up the majority of the GB team that tours in 2019.

The last time that GB did a tour that missed out Australia it lost heaps of money and ended up a shambles with players sent home early to save cash. However it could be done now with a few tweaks.

Obviously you can fill stadiums in NZ with Pacific Island supporters. I'd suggest a 6 nations comp in NZ with GB, NZ, PNG, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji.

That'd attract more attention than playing tests in the islands themselves and be more likely to make some money.

But having GB might be what keeps him in RL rather than switch to Union.

But only if GB played every year, right? He wouldn't stay for GB if they only toured once every four years, would he?

I think that sums it up.

I think the RFL need to make the decision after this world cup so that from 2018 onwards it's either permanently England or permanently GB, and that includes at world cups. If we're playing as Great Britain then we shouldn't split up for the world cup.

I understand the predicament that the RFL are in because if you play as Great Britain then (assuming you don't split) you lose 2 or 3 teams from the world cup. I say two or three because I don't know if Ireland would want to be part of GB or not. Maybe they would want to remain separate. Reverting permanently to GB would also mean admitting that RL can't match what RU have in terms of being able to produce successful and sustainable England, Wales and Scotland teams. I don't think that should be a concern, but maybe the RFL would feel that it shows the game in a bad light, I'm not sure.

If you're trying to build a brand you need to give it exposure. I don't want to buy an England shirt for £50 and then not see England play a meaningful game for the whole of 2019. There are so few international matches anyway that you can't mess about like that.