Australian legend Mal Meninga has called for a dramatic shake-up of international rugby league, with the World Cup fast approaching.
Officials hope next month's tournament will re-ignite the sport, with its success branded as "crucial" to the future of the code.
Kanagaroos coach Meninga has told Newshub restoring the NZ Kiwis v Australia fixture to its former glory, among other things, is a must.
"My personal feeling is we need to go back to a three-match series," Meninga said.
The sides haven't clashed since October 2019, with their first post-COVID-19 match likely a blockbuster World Cup semi-final at Leeds in November.
The historic fixture is one of the staples Meninga wants to see come to the fore, when a new global calendar is finalised shortly.
"We've got to include all the other nations as well," he said. "I think we've got an obligation - both us [Australia] and New Zealand - to go north to go to England.
"I think that's really important... England and France."
The calendar and eligibility rules are arguably the most hotly contested issues for the international game, with both to be addressed when powerbrokers convene in England for the World Cup.
Meninga hopes a new and improved calendar will set the international stage for years to come.
The Kiwis haven't played a Baskerville Shield series against England since 2018, while the Kangaroos and England (then Great Britain) haven't contested the rugby league 'Ashes' since 2003, but that could soon change.
As well as clashes against each other and with Pacific Island nations, it's understood traditional northern tours for New Zealand and Australia are central to kickstarting the international scene, which has withered away during the pandemic.
As hosts of the 2025 World Cup, France would also benefit greatly from more tests.
International Rugby League chairman Troy Grant has told Newshub he wanted the calendar finalised months ago, but the pandemic has made any planning difficult.
He admits not having a consistent window has been a historic flaw for the code when it comes to fan buy-in and commercialisation.
"The Achilles heel of the sport for a long time is not having assurity who's playing who when, where and why," Grant explained. "Hopefully soon, we'll get that landed and give all fans a good picture of what the international game looks like for the next decade."
Meninga agrees a cycle based around the World Cup is most important, so everyone's on the same page.
"We need to have an idea of the cycles," he said. "Is there going to be a Pacific-type programme?
"Is there going to be international nines? If we know that and players can see that, they can plan towards that."
Grant says traditional tours and tournaments have had the most success in the past.
"I think the most popular type of content for internationals has been tournaments like the Four Nations, the Oceania Cup and the tours. They've been the ones that have been the most commercially popular and have probably the most heritage to it.
"An important component is to make sure the games are meaningful, competitive and that they're playing for something that has some heritage, and that it means something to the players and teams as well."
He says this year's showpiece is vital to getting what he and many in the game still regard as the game's pinnacle back on track.
"Oh, it's absolutely crucial," he concedes. "Like most sporting federations, we are very reliant on the financial success of our World Cups to sustain investment in the game for the other three years.
"We've been working very hard on a commercial calendar to have more continuity and consistency in tournaments between World Cups.
"The World Cups are not only important from a financial point of view, but it's also a springboard, a momentum starter, I guess, particularly after two years with COVID, where there were little to no fixtures."
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