Players throwing punches in the Four Nations and next year's World Cup won't be automatically sent to the sin bin.

Following a brawl during Saturday's France-England Test in which at least two players stayed on the field despite throwing haymakers, the biff being back became a distinct possibility for international football.

Old school: Willie Mason throws a punch during a Test against Great Britain in 2006. Credit:Dallas Kilponen

Four Nations tournament director Jon Dutton has confirmed the punching ban first introduced during the 2014 State of Origin series would not carry across to either tournament.

"The rules we'll be playing under, the international interpretations, are very similar to Super League," Dutton told Fairfax Media.