The sport of rugby league has taken a series of body blows recently with the departure of Samuel Burgess and Sonny Bill Williams to rugby union, and Jarryd Hayne to the NFL. But 2017 is the year of the next World Cup, under the management of the Australians and New Zealanders rather than the dunce Nigel Wood. and there is a good chance that during that year rugby league will welcome back all of those defectors plus more.

Samuel Burgess's contract with Bath will expire in May 2017. South Sydney will welcome him back with open arms, as will whoever is the coach of England.

Sonny Bill Williams' contract with New Zealand rugby union will be concluded in May 2017. The Sydney Roosters will welcome him back with open arms, as will whoever is coach of New Zealand.

Jarryd Hayne will of course have returned before that date, because he cannot beat the odds and make a successful career in the NFL.

However the biggest likely coup for rugby league will be the return of Israel Folau, after a successful career in rugby union. He will have achieved everything in rugby union by then, and the chance to play at Parramatta or Canterbury against the champion clubs South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters will be very attractive to him.

The chance of playing in the rugby league World Cup will be part of the lure of rugby league in 2017. The likely appearance of Robert Farah, Timothy Mannah and Joshua Mansour in the Lebanese team, and David Mead, Nene Macdonald, Raymond Thompson and James Segyaro in the PNG team will make this the best World Cup ever.

Don't be surprised if other rugby union players such as Curtley Beale and Quade Cooper will have also defected to rugby league in 2017.

You're very strange.

Particularly in attacking Nigel Woods over the WC, which was a staggering success!

The moderate success (not "staggering" success) of the 2013 World Cup was due not to Nigel Wood but to a certain lady who has since fled the RFL for a more permanent meaningful employment.

If Nigel Wood was serious about the long term development of the international game, and in particular making the 2017 World Cup a great success, he would not have abandoned licencing, and thus abandoned French development via a Toulouse Super League licence.

I love him. He's like a mischevious little puppy who's head you just want to ruffle as you chortle to yourself.