Seems the Four Nations has finally woken up some in the NRL to the idea that international league is still alive and kicking when they make an effort to support it.

Talks are apparently under way to discuss the potential for an England tour to Australia, including three Tests and potentially a couple of "country" games in the midweek.

However the NRL are keen for this not to increase the workload for top players, which to me would suggest they want to play it during the season rather than at the end. Does that sound the death knell, or do we think SL clubs would be willing to release up to half a dozen of their top players for 6-7 weeks in the middle of the regular season now "every game matters"?

I have said it before that we should do a tour during the season but i really can't see the Aussies going for it as they have SOO and the top the clubs in the NRL wouldn't be prepare to give up their top stars for 6 weekends during the regular season.

I can't see why we couldn't do a tour that would include a couple of a games midweek, a test against each of NZ, Australia and PNG.

The game can toss into the ring as many afterthought joke namby pamby mini international tour formats as it pleases. Nothing will come close to repairing the damage to the game by the loss of proper Kangaroos and Lions tours.

It used to be the highest honour and privilege to gain international honours competing in proper tours and Ashes Series. The game blew it when it became Sky Sports summer buttplug. ARL chairman Ken Arthurson did warn way back in 1995 that Super League would destroy international RL and he was right.

The club game was on its aris in 95' and something had to be done.I too regret the demise of the Kangaroo tours, they were fantastic and are very much missed but we are highly unlikely to ever see them in the guise they used to be now so may aswell accept it.

I very much enjoyed the 4 nations this time around and am looking forward to the kiwi tour next year, but it does seem an awful long time to wait. Having not had a full blown kangaroo tour in 20 years and some of the stop start rubbish we have had to endure in the mean time i will take whatever 'after thought namby pamby' international match against NZ or OZ wherever possible thanks,don't care what it means to them i enjoy it.

The split season opens the door IMO to a mid season tour, start Superleague on Boxing Day and have a 6 week break for Internationals.

These tours were so popular - check the attendances!! We have had this discussion before 1982 Aussies were the greatest side that ever toured this country look at the crowds

6 games including one international attracted crowds of less than 10K
3 games had crowds < 11k
The three internationals 26k Hull, 23k Wigan, 17k Headingley

Your view of how good the international game was in its heyday simply don't stack up - without a strong club game where do the players come from to form the international side?

If we hadn't have started SL we would still be part time playing against a FT Aussie side. How could those games have ever been competitive it would have been like England playing France - the international game really would have been a joke.

So you think tours will return the game to its glory days - the game was in such good order prior to SL!! So how do you suggest these tours are conducted - we return to winter rugby?

So start the NRL season at the height of summer - are you serious? Also when do the players get a break and have time for pre-season?

International RL was not destroyed, hence he was wrong. And if he was that fecking concerned he could always have re-set the timer on the Australian season.

Agreed it could argued it is in a better state now than it was then

A lot of the boxing day friendlies (even at SL level) get called off, would you really want to risk losing those bumper opening week crowds? Also the obvious question, when do players get a rest?

Ok, so 1982 wasn't hugely attended - but the 3rd game was a dead rubber and the attendances for Hull and Wigan are actually comparable to the 2001 and 2003 Ashes. In fact, the 26k at Hull is higher than any game in 2001/3.

Meanwhile, the Ashes tours 86, 90 & 94 still have 3 of the highest ever attendances versus Australia in the UK, the lowest attendance being the dead rubber at Central Park in 1986. Interesting that the highest standalone attendances since 1998 were also as Great Britain, in 2004, and that switching to England we've needed double-headers or finals to break the 30k mark.

I'm certainly not anti-SL, but those tours remain some of the greatest sporting events I've seen - certainly 1990 and 1994. It's a crying shame they have been lost, though the inclusion of NZ and other countries in the Four Nations has been a huge positive, and the last few international tournaments have been outstanding. Where do we go from here? I'd love the return of Ashes tours (perhaps Aus vs top 3 SL & 3 x tests), but I'm not sure there's room for them any more unless we shake things up (again), upset a few people and make room.

1986
25 Oct: Great Britain 16-38 Australia Old Trafford, Manchester: 50,583
8 Nov: Great Britain 4-34 Australia, Elland Road, Leeds: 30,808
22 Nov: Great Britain 15-24 Australia, Central Park, Wigan: 20,169
1990
27 Oct: Great Britain 19-12 Australia, Wembley Stadium, London: 54,569
10 Nov: Great Britain 10-14 Australia, Old Trafford, Manchester: 46,615
24 Nov: Great Britain 0-14 Australia, Elland Road, Leeds: 32,500
1994
22 Oct: Great Britain 8-4 Australia, Wembley Stadium, London: 57,034
5 Nov: Great Britain 8-38 Australia, Old Trafford, Manchester: 43,930
15 Nov: Great Britain 4-23 Australia, Elland Road, Leeds: 39,468

Post-SL
2001
11 Nov: Great Britain 20-12 Australia, McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield: 21,458
17 Nov: Great Britain 12-40 Australia, Reebok Stadium, Bolton: 22,152
24 Nov: Great Britain 8-28 Australia, JJB Stadium, Wigan: 25,011
2003
8 Nov: Great Britain 18-22 Australia, JJB Stadium, Wigan: 24,614
15 Nov: Great Britain 20-23 Australia, Kingston Communications Stadium, Hull: 22,152
22 Nov: Great Britain 12-18 Australia, McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield: 24,126

Tri/Four Nations:
30 Oct 2004: Great Britain 8-12 Australia, City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester: 38,572
13 Nov 2004: Great Britain 24–12 Australia, JJB Stadium, Wigan: 25,004
27 Nov 2004: Great Britain 4-44 Australia, Elland Road, Leeds: 39,120 (final)
5 Nov 2005: Great Britain 6-20 Australia, JJB Stadium, Wigan: 25,004
19 Nov 2005: Great Britain 26-14 Australia, Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield: 19,232
31 Oct 2009: England 16-26 Australia, DW Stadium, Wigan: 23,123
14 Nov 2009: England 16-46 Australia, Elland Road, Leeds: 31,042 (final)
5 Nov 2011: England 20-36 Australia, Wembley Stadium, London: 42,344 (double header)
19 Nov 2011: England 8-30 Australia, Elland Road, Leeds: 34,174 (final)
26 Oct 2013: England 20-28 Australia, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff: 45,052 (double header)

I don't really get the whole ''it should still be GB not England" thing. It's not like RU (don't wet your pants Gutterfax) where the Lions are truly made up of a mixture of Eng/Welsh/Scot/Irish players. We could've kept it as GB but the team lineups for the last several years wouldn't have changed at all.

Only reason seems noslagtic, nothing that would actually sell the series more.

If we want tours back then SL will have to continue playing for at least some of the time the tour takes place.
SL will have to sacrifice for the international game, something it has rarely, if ever, done.
The same goes for the NRL. Which is probably a bigger, more selfish, beast.