It may seem like a strange time to ask this question at the end of the most successful World Cup in a generation.
We’ve seen sell-out crowds, entertaining games and a general feel good factor about rugby league that this country hasn’t felt since the early 90s.
We’ve also had the surreal sight of rival nations linking arms and joining each other in prayer at the final whistle.
Two months ago nobody outside the M62 corridor seemed to know the competition was even taking place, and despite some of the domestic problems they’re currently facing, the RFL deserve enormous credit for making this tournament as successful as it could possibly be.
But something is missing. And that something is passion.
Nobody doubts the commitment of all 34 men who set foot on the field in each game and in a sport like rugby league anything less than 100% can have serious consequences.
No, it’s not the passion of the players, it’s the passion of the fans that I feel is missing.
And if we’re being honest, who can really blame them?
Can you really expect a country as patriotic as America to rally behind a team comically nicknamed ‘The United States of Australia?’
Or a nation as passionate as the Italians to really care for a side that has just two of their own in a 24 man squad?
Trust me, even as a Pom it makes my blood boil when I see Rangi Chase in an England shirt!
But, as we all know, if these countries were to select players based on ‘stricter’ regulations, we’d probably see the scoring record broken every other day.
But even with the ‘heritage’ rule, it was always going to be England, Australia, New Zealand and one other in the semi-finals.
Not only that, but because the passage to the last four was pretty much guaranteed regardless, the opening defeat to the Aussies didn’t hurt half as much as it should of. And, because we knew we’d get our own back when the cricket started!
Compare this to Old Trafford in 1990 when a Mal Meninga inspired Australia levelled the series with a game to go, it felt like the roof of British rugby league had just caved in.
And this was in stark contrast to a sold out Wembley two weeks earlier, where 85,000 people celebrated in unison a 19-12 victory over the old enemy.
Fast forward four years, Wembley again the scene.
Another 85,000 crammed into the famous old stadium, when a flash of brilliance from Johnathan Davies secured another unlikely victory for the Lions.
Even though both series ended with the inevitable Australian series win, enough people cared to fill the national stadium on consecutive tours, the same stadium which will not be full for a World Cup semi final double header.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the few weeks, and really hope this becomes a regular tournament.
It’s not often you get to see players like Sam Burgess, Cameron Smith and Sonny Bill Williams over here, on the same weekend, and in the flesh.
But if we’re being honest, it’s really only when we get to the semi-finals when people start to care passionately.
Even in 1988 when 2-0 down in the series, everyone remembers how Ellery Hanley celebrated the winning the final Test.
Did Kevin Sinfield do the same after beating Ireland? Or Isaac Luke after demolishing Papua New Guinea?
What about Greg Inglis after thrashing Fiji? And I didn’t see any fans jumping out of their seats at the final whistle. Purely because the games, as expected, were over before half time.
And this, for me, is why we need to bring back three match Test Series.
England, Australia and New Zealand all have a responsibility to the developing nations.
But they also have a responsibility to each other. And most of all, they have a responsibility to the fans.
We don’t want to see one sided run outs, we want to see close battles.
We want to see the best players in the world up against each other on a regular basis. We want bragging rights. But above all, we want to care every time our country takes to the field.
Kris Swales
Expert
Oh look, I was there and 67k was amazing - would've been something else to see the joint packed with 84k though!
Ryan
Guest
What if any players from the other home nations would have much a difference to a GB team from the current England squad. Danny bough three his hat in the English circle and we saw how that turned out. I believe GB idea has run its course.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
State of Origin is basically an Australian All-Stars game. The whole notion of being limited by a state is silly because, as everyone knows, both Queensland and New South Wales have not blinked at accepting anyone as long as they want to play for them. It's like NRL or Super League clubs - you don't have to have been born in the club's traditional areas to play for them. I see Origin, and even internationals, along the same lines (though I do admit that internationals ought to be little bit more strict).
statties
Guest
no, no, no ,no. we do not need kiwis and poms in SOO.we only need Qlders and NSWmen playing in SOO. I dont want the best vs the best, that is what professional club rugby is for. I want to see the best of those born and raised in each state play each other. SOO is fast becoming a joke
Storm Boy
Guest
Really Kris? The RFL is saying 70000 tickets sold and I think the most to EVER be at RL test in England is the 1992 RLWC final which was 72000 or something.
Kris Swales
Expert
I reckon England's inability to take a significant tournament in my lifetime wouldn't be helping the Wembley crowd figure - but if they win today and somehow jag the Cup at the end, you'd hope that would turn around. I don't think there's really time/scope for regular three test series between the big guns, but you'd think the second tier nations could definitely benefit on it. Would help them build up some genuine rivalries as well.
Rich
Guest
Include NZders and poms in the state of origin! Players are assigned a state based on the first entry into Australia. We need to expand the state of origin to include the best players. Come test time this would make for an extremely interesting dynamic and the intensity and interest in test matches that much more exciting. Mate against mate and in cases countrymen against countrymen!!! The state of origin is the pinnacle considering the lack of test match interest. The bledisloe cup and rugby championship have the best players in Union on display and though the numbers have dropped off with interest for Union, it is still a very highly anticipated and watched battle.
Cameron
Guest
"the opening defeat to the Aussies didn’t hurt half as much as it should of." Last two words of this sentence should have been, "should have", not "should of". Grammatically incorrect.
Rodney
Roar Pro
Why can't we have both? There's still a spare year in the 4 year cycle we have at the moment between world cups. We could even make it a 'lions style' tour to give you poms a chance.
code 13
Roar Guru
An end of year schedule (so ignoring the mid season games for the time being) for the Big 3 teams should be something like the following 2014 GB & I tour Southern Hemisphere GB&I Lions - Fiji, Pacific Island All Stars, Australia (3 game Ashes series), New Zealand (3 game Baskerville series) Australia - Samoa, Pacific Island All Stars, Ashes series, Anzac Series (Mid Year Test+2 end of season games against NZ) New Zealand - PNG, Pacific Island All Stars, Baskerville series, Anzac Series 2015 5 Nations in Northern Hemisphere England - Lebanon, Serbia, 5 Nations (Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, France) Australia - Fiji, Tonga, Wales, Italy, 5 Nations (England, New Zealand, Scotland, France) New Zealand - Cook Islands, PNG, Ireland, Russia, 5Nations (Australia, England, Scotland, France) 2016 5 Nations in Southern Hemisphere England - France, Cook Islands, Tonga 5 Nations (Australia, New Zealand, PNG, Fiji) Australia - Samoa, Cook Islands, USA 5 Nations (New Zealand, England, PNG, Fiji) New Zealand - Samoa, USA, Tonga 5 Nations (Australia, England, PNG, Fiji) 2017 World Cup Games in Southern Hemisphere Then to start the next cycle 2018 Australia, New Zealand, some pacific islands side + Pacific Islands All Stars side tour Northern Hemisphere 2019 5 Nations in Southern Hemisphere 2020 5 Nations in Northern Hemisphere 2021 World Cup in Northern Hemisphere - hopefully France could be the main host with England, Wales, Ireland & Scotland pool games in some of those countries 2022 For the next GB&I southern hemisphere tour now that the home nations have improved the warm up games are against Ireland, Wales, Scotland & England and then the GB&I games etc
Johnno
Guest
I'd like to bring it back but what is it's relevance that's the point. With the world cup now the pinnacle, do we need a 3 test series every year vs NZ. Isn't that a bit limiting, and not special. I find Australia now plays NZ too much in rugby, and south africa too. I would like a world club challange expanded, i see that as the best way to generate a wider audience of rugby league fans. WIgan V Melbourne Storm or Leeds VS Roosters . I do like though the ANZAC test 1 match every year. Id like a GB test series every 4 years or even every 8 years. GB tour Australia every 8 years, and NZ every 8 years. So in a 4 year cycle there is a GB test series, Lion's style, every 4 years. Love GB test series. What I'd like is a proper 4 year cycle program, and a nine's cricuit. Year 1- GB test series Aust VS GB or NZ VS GB. And team not playing in it does a tour of europe eg vs france, vs a Europe XIII Year 2- Euro championship and a Pacific nations cup (Aust/NZ play in it) Year 3- 13's Rest but have the nines world cup, and players can play in the nine's world cup if they want Year 4-RLWC And get a proper dedicated nines world circuit going. Scrap the 4 nations it doesn't have any meaning. Keep annual ANZAC test it's good promo for the game