When the pandemic shut down rugby league, it was internationals that paid the price of a truncated season. There was plenty of frustration at the time and the perception that Tests were an afterthought was entirely justified.
That was less than five years ago, and things couldn't feel more different now. In fact, you'd be hard pressed arguing against the idea that international rugby league is in the healthiest state it's ever been in.
What transpired in 2020 felt like a massive step backwards, a massive roadblock to the runaway train that left the station in 2017, which is when the first wave of player shifts towards Tonga and Samoa occurred.
And that's not to say that World Cup didn't have great moments, but it's everything that we've seen over the past couple of years that has made everyone involved with the sport sit up and take notice of what we have here, and what it can be.
If the new Parramatta Stadium had a roof, it would have flown off on Sunday afternoon as the Samoan Siva Tau reached crescendo, and then again when Brian To'o bagged the first try of the afternoon.
Then, when Simi Sasagi doubled the lead with a length-of-the-field intercept, the noise level somehow rose again as the vast majority of the 28,000 people in attendance cheered him with every stride.
The game soon turned, but spirits remained high.
New Zealand were the far better side when all was said and done and deserved their win. But it didn't dampen the mood of those in attendance, regardless of affiliation.
And that's it for international rugby league until we finally get another World Cup, back in Australia, in 2026. How it's handled and marketed will be absolutely pivotal for just how big this whole thing can become.
The reality is that with Samoa and Tonga now being major players and legitimate contenders, rugby league has something truly, truly special on its hands right now. Something money can't buy and something other sports can't emulate. Appetite for events, both sporting and otherwise, has exploded in the past few years - and a smaller tournament with less chance of embarrassing blowouts gives the sport a great chance to truly legitimise itself on the global stage.
Nobody is expecting it to rival such events as the 2003 Rugby World Cup or the 2023 FIFA World Cup, but there's no reason why it can't take over cities to a similar extent, even if just for a couple of games. 2017 was great, but the reality is that people care far more about international footy now than they did then, and the talent of the non-Australian and Kiwi teams is far greater.
The best part is, it doesn't need to be a battle. We're only a couple of months removed from a British & Irish Lions tour which captivated Australian audiences, and the Wallabies will remain a big draw for years to come. But, we really can have it all.
And all of this without even mentioning Australia's 3-0 Ashes whitewash which, while comfortably in favour of the Kangaroos, still yielded 60,000 people at Wembley Stadium and two sold out games in Liverpool and Leeds.
Rugby league will never have the luxuries of other sports in terms of being able to completely set clubland aside to accommodate international windows, especially when you add State of Origin into the mix - so the limited chances they get have to be absolutely perfect in execution.
The international game is in the best position it's ever been - and next year's World Cup could be the culmination of what started a decade ago.