PAPER-THIN eligibility, confected teams, selection biases, under-performing stars, union players running around with little idea, dodgy schedules, conveniently forgotten facts, and jumping in bed with ‘the enemy’.

This is the foundation which the world’s most successful professional rugby league competition – and nation – was built upon.

And I’m here to say why that’s completely okay.

As somebody who was rather fond of history class in high school, I’m often left to wonder what real value that particular subject has given me in adulthood.

Of course, the classic argument is that history helps us avoid the mistakes of the past, like electing belligerent leaders who instigate class warfare based on closed-thinking ideologies.

Hmm... how’s that working out for the world again?

Anyhow, the other value I believe history lessons provide is the ability to point out how ludicrous and hypocritical some ‘traditionalist rugby league fans’ are when it comes to certain topics.

Namely, international expansion of the sport and the growth of rugby league for females.

To some ‘traditionalists’, they will never accept that rugby league is expanding or legitimised in numerous areas unless it meets some very stringent criteria.

That is to say, they expect players somehow imbued with knowledge of the game since the womb to spring forth in new lands, grow a domestic competition of 10-plus teams, play every week, not recruit anybody from rugby union, have zero heritage-qualified players, know every Dally M winner, and succeed at every post.

I’m not kidding. That’s generally the list of pre-requisites which sceptical Aussies harbour, or otherwise they see fit to tear down and dismiss the legitimacy of overseas or female teams.

Now, prepare to have your mind blown.

Imagine if, next week, I went to South Africa, rounded up a team of disgruntled rugby union players, paid them some money, crossed the border into Botswana and played the two nations against each other under rugby union rules.

Then, I decided I would steal Botswana’s best player, add him to South Africa’s squad, play a game against Zambia – again under rugby union rules – keep travelling north, then months later after numerous stops we’d play Cameroon in a curious 13-man hybrid of the game they developed.

Would you say I had just given birth to rugby league in Botswana?

That’s the long bow we Australians draw when we talk about how New Zealand’s touring ‘All Golds’ of 1907 laid the basis of our nation’s emergence as a rugby league powerhouse.