Who cares if the NRL are reluctant, no other decent sport objects to their top players partaking in international competition in fact most welcome it. Throughout this pandemic major sports have struggled on, the Olympic Games are going ahead. The lions are in South Africa & we don’t here them or their clubs endlessly moaning , Union are quiet happy to have players missing through international duty (a lot more than league asks) . The NRL also don’t mind players stood down for origin games. It is just pure selfishness & total lack of interest in anything not Australian. People are correct saying it will be a farce without the NRL players but let’s put the blame where it belongs squarely in the arms of the NRL.

And that will increase interest as well

The Aussie won't turn up next year either and neither will the Kiwis as the Kiwis do what the Aussies tell them to do.

Well, history has shown that the Aussies have turned up overseas 31 times over the past 10 years, but UK teams have turned up 20 times.

Of course in 2000 NZ didn't turn up.

The only thing between NZ RL and extinction is a shed load of volunteers and the NRL.........same sort of thing with English Rugby League....SKY tell them to jump and they ask "how high"