This is why I was asking the question. I just googled this chap. Firstly, I expect Wales RU will try and nab him, unless he goes off to the NRL in Australia. If he does stay in RL though, he's a good example of what I was asking about. Suppose he is selected for GB in 2019 and he is amazing. He scores five tries as we stuff the Aussies. What happens then? When will GB play again? Not in 2020, it would appear, because that's England again. So, what does he do? Go back to playing for Wales until the next GB tour in 2023 or whenever? That's going to be a bit of a come down for the poor lad.

After the Australians attitude to this World Cup, I wouldn't go anyway what's the point, they don't want international RL.

Why would it? He's a proud Welsh lad, so playing for Wales and even GB should be the highlight of his career.

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.

It is so true. The League media here is talking about NRL and SoO 2018.

So, if NZ are coming over here in 2018, then its a GB team going to Oz in 2019, after England's game on Saturday then they might not play Australia again for 3 years or so ?

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.

Its the one thing we should look at RU for though in my opinion. Strong international game strengthens the whole game. A 4 nations every year or 2 years with England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France is something we should aiming for. It would take some work and a few years going to have any impact but i think its the way forward. European Cups and 4 nations with NZ, Aus & Tonga on the alternate years too with a GB tour every 4/5 years.

I think its bad enough that England might not even play in 2019. Look at other sports, this year, England football have played 10 games, kick and clap lot have played 11, we play an average of 4 games a year (8 this year but it is a world cup). Next year we MIGHT play 5, mid-season test MAYBE, a warm-up game to the series MAYBE and 3 games against NZ, so only 3 scheduled for next year so far.

I would hope in 2019 that England would play a mid-season test, never know, maybe 2 seen as they aren't the ones touring but that would still be played in Oceania so we won't get to watch our international team for another year, like this year, like 2014. In the 2010s, England have played just 24 games in England, bearing in mind 1 was against Cumbria and 4 against the Exiles so I don't know if we really want to count them and by the end of the 2010s they will have played just 27 in England.

It is poor how few opportunities we have to watch our national team and playing so few games can hardly help the development of the team, bringing GB back is hardly gonna help that development. Stick to England or revive GB and stick to them but don't have both.

If we tour, I'd go for a tour encompassing PNG, NZ, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook islands.

A full on GB tour of them. I would pay good money to do that tour.

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.