It’s the Test match eight years in the making that traditionalists hope will resurrect one of rugby league’s greatest rivalries.

Yet as fans in both hemispheres impatiently count down the days to the blockbuster Ashes-series opener between Australia and England at iconic Wembley Stadium on Saturday, it could be argued that it’s not even the main event for this weekend.

On the other side of the planet, Samoa and Tonga will do battle on Sunday in round two of the Pacific Championships at Suncorp Stadium, in a clash that is likely to provide further evidence of the new world order that is rapidly evolving.

The Ashes might have a heritage dating back 117 years, but rugby league’s hopes of growing and eventually thriving as a global game are reliant on its Oceania nations. And the progress t

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