Australian Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has implored the NRL to include international matches as a regular season fixture following the success of the Rugby League World Cup.
Australia won their 12th title, however, it was the rise of Samoa and the efforts of minnows Jamaica, Lebanon and Cook Islands that captured the attention of the public.
Meninga believes that the time is now to capitalise on the popularity of international rugby league which will create greater competition for future tournaments.
“People want to play for their country. That’s what they want to do,” Meninga said on SENQ 693 Breakfast.
“Let’s hope the game realises how important the international game is for rugby league.
“Hopefully, they’ll find a schedule for us and we can move forward with making our sport a global sport.
“We can’t let this chance go by and we’ve got to have a four-year schedule from World Cup to World Cup.
“You can then start to build everything around that.”
Despite leading the Kangaroos to the ultimate prize, Meninga faced plenty of criticism for his constant selection changes and cryptic messaging.
In response, the coach said that he and his assistants had a plan from the outset of the tournament and didn’t concern themselves with any external noise.
“We had a plan right from the beginning,” Meninga added.
“We knew all the players (in the squad) were going to play and that player combinations might be affected by that.
“Our spine played five or six games together so all the opinions and analysts got that wrong.”
Meninga has extended his Kangaroos coaching record to 16 wins and just two losses.