I must say I was thinking the same thing, I've expressed this point a number of times to different people.

When you look at the three NZ games next year, we've got a good chance of selling out all 3 venues, the games will at least be competitive if recent games against NZ are anything to go by. I would rather play games against NZ and get 40,000 people and a scoreline within just a few points than play in front of 15-20,000 in a half empty ground in Oz and lose by 30 points. Given the support for Tonga and exciting games they have played this world cup I would go to NZ and play a series against them and a couple games against Tonga and Fiji.

I would hope the Aussies would at least take a little notice of the series next year when at least 45,000 people are at Anfield and Elland Road and Hull are full and games are going down to the last few seconds and think oh, that is what International RL is supposed to look like.

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.