While all focus has been on the players called up to England's World Cup squad, for others, their stories are far from the joyous tales told by those who made the shortlist.
For every enjoyable phone call made by Shaun Wane after he decided on his 24-man England squad there was also a tough one. Among those to receive bad news was Leeds Rhinos captain Kruise Leeming, who was one of several high-profile omissions.
A first call-up for Salford's Andy Ackers saw Leeming miss out on selection, with Catalans' experience hooker Micky McIlorum also preferred. It was heartbreak for Leeming, who made no secret of his heartbreak after being left out but was gracious enough to pass on his best wishes to the 24 who will wear the famous jersey throughout the tournament.
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"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed," he said. "It's a boyhood dream of mine to play in a World Cup and when I got that phone call my heart sank.
"But, I'm totally behind what Shaun Wane is doing. He spoke to me and his words were that it was one of the hardest conversations he's had to have and I believed him. Just because I haven't been picked in that squad doesn't mean I wasn't good enough or didn't do enough, sometimes the plan or the way the coach wants to go just doesn't fit that style. But I really hope they do England proud and I'm sure they will do.
"I feel like I gave it a good go. I feel like I played well this year and for the lads to hit form at the back end of the year and get to a Grand Final helped. It was tough to take, but he did say that which was very kind of him and I'm glad he took the time to ring me as I'm sure it was a tough time for him, having to make a load of those phone calls. I hope they do well."
Cruelly, Leeming's aspirations were scuppered by an ill-timed injury. He had starred during the early stages of Rohan Smith's mid-season Rhinos revival but then missed seven games due to a stress fracture in his foot. By the time he returned, Brad Dwyer and Jarrod O'Connor had both hit form, resulting in Leeming playing predominantly from the bench in shorter spells.
Nevertheless, he is more focused on using the disappointment to fuel him to be better moving forward, rather than making excuses.
"The injury didn't help, it was just bad timing. I believe in myself and I do believe one year I will play in a World Cup. I've got a lot of time left in my playing career, it might not be in this one but in the next three or four years.
"All I'd need is one opportunity, that's all I want. I got a taste of it in France, I got my first cap there. That was something I always wanted. Some players can go their whole career, and there have been some great players that have never got to play for their country. For there to be more opportunities moving forward (as part of IMG's strategic plan) is great and I hope I get to do it again.
"I'd never say I need extra motivation to do what I do. I play for Leeds Rhinos, one of the biggest clubs in the world. To say I need more motivation would do the club a disservice. But has it given me a bit more fire in the belly? One hundred per cent. To see the bigger picture of one day lifting a World Cup and being able to look back on this time is hopefully the end result."
For now, Leeming will get the chance to take on international opposition and in the process, one of the best teams on the planet. He will be part of the Leeds Rhinos squad that take on New Zealand as part of their preparations for the tournament, with the Kiwis taking on Leeds at Headingley this Saturday.
"You grow up watching England and New Zealand, some of the battles they've had has been fantastic. This fixture, as strange as it is, against a club team, might never happen again. To say I've done that is another memory I'll have made playing the sport of rugby league.
"I'll be looking forward to watching the haka. You turn it on to see the haka, so to have it done 10 or 15 feet away will be fantastic and I'm sure Headingley will be packed out.
"It's been tough as there are a lot of sore bodies. We put a lot of effort behind getting to the Grand Final. But Rohan is fantastic at what he does and he's got us moving about light-heartedly at the start of the week.
"Some people have been away and come back. We'll start honing in now towards the backend of this week and getting our heads on for a tough test because even though it's an exhibition match you could say, we don't want to be embarrassed, we want to put a show on for our fans."
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