Australia will begin their defence of the Rugby League World Cup against Fiji knowing for the first time they face a multi-pronged battle to retain it.
The Kangaroos have not played since 2019, and the international game has evolved to the point where at least five nations can consider themselves a realistic chance of winning the tournament.
"They're coming for us," warned Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga ahead of Sunday's (AEDT) big kick-off.
"It's exciting for the international game. We're a part of that but we aren't heading there to lose."
Meninga's men should breeze through a group that contains Fiji, Italy and Scotland but in the knockout stages they are likely to face tougher challenges than those experienced in years gone by.
New Zealand - who lifted the trophy in 2008 - have arguably never been stronger with an aggressive and mobile forward pack.
But the real change in the international game's make-up emanates from the Pacific.
Tonga's rise at the 2017 tournament and subsequent Test victory over the Kangaroos three years ago mean they are no longer a dark horse.
Their rise has sparked change from Samoa, who will be boosted by the presence of Junior Paulo, Jarome Luai and Josh Papali'i when they take on England on Sunday (AEDT).
"We are following off what Tonga did," Samoan winger Brian To'o said. "That gave us a glimpse of what Samoa can do."
One of the traditionally stronger teams who might miss the semi-final cut are England.
Not for the first time, the hosts' domestic game is at a crossroads and, according to former Great Britain and Ireland international Brian Carney, it is in "need of urgent help".
"It's been in decline for a substantial period of time," Carney said.
"We got here because people running the game couldn't run it effectively."
The game in the UK has flirted with various league structures over the last 15 or so years, but that has not stopped its struggle for media coverage, the departure of some of its best talent to the NRL, and the decline of some significant clubs.
Bradford, London and Widnes have all been relegated from the Super League over the last decade and do not look like coming back.
The Super League clubs decided to split from the game's administrative body the Rugby Football League in 2018, only to get back together three years later.
"We tinker with the game constantly," Carney said.
"The NRL suffers on the field with tinkering but here the amount of change we make is frightening.
"All that has done is damage the core support."
In a sign of how low the profile of the game is, all of the Rugby Football League's main properties - including the Super League, the two divisions below it, and the men's and women's national teams - are sponsored by one company, the bookmakers BetFred.
If gambling sponsorship is outlawed by the British government, rugby league in the country could face bigger issues than its image problem.
The hope is that this World Cup, coupled with a recently signed deal with global media giant IMG, will provide a much-needed shot in the arm.
"They're calling this (the IMG deal) their moonshot," Carney said.
"It's this or nothing and that's a perilous situation to be in because you feel like you're in a last-chance saloon."
