Head coach of Wales John Kear reckons the World Cup should go ahead without Australia and New Zealand if the two nations opt out.
The World Cup has been a topic of fierce debate in the international rugby league community over the past couple of weeks, with NRL clubs reportedly not wanting players to attend.
It's on account of the delayed resumption to the next pre-season, following the World Cup itself and a two-week stint in quarantine upon return to Australia.
While players have avoided speaking on the subject to this point, it's unclear whether players share the view of their clubs.
With the fate of the tournament still in the balance, despite most nations signing on to play, Welsh coach Kear said it shouldn't matter whether Australia and New Zealand participate or not.
"I would invite them and if they don’t come, I would go ahead anyway," Kear said on a BBC podcast this week.
"If the FIFA World Cup went ahead and Brazil chose not to participate that’s Brazil’s problem; it’s not the rest of the world’s problem.
"The top echelon of the game should be international football and we need buy-in from all the nations that it is a priority."
It's understood ticket sales have been strong for the tournament, and if Australia and New Zealand were to opt out with NRL players, they could still field teams out of the English Super League.
World Cup organisers reaffirmed their commitment to having the tournament proceed late last week in a statement, with the organisers having support from the British government for the tournament to proceed.
The statement also said that they would not be forced into rushed decisions.
"Our primary focus remains to deliver the Rugby League World Cup this year, as planned, and constructive progress has been made this week," the statement read.
"We are realistic about the complex challenges we are facing in these unprecedented times, including the international travel arrangements and quarantining of athletes and staff from the southern hemisphere.
"In the interests of delivering clarity and certainty to everyone involved in staging the tournament, a final decision will be made as soon as possible.
"However, we have made it clear that our decision-making will not be dictated by deadlines if further consideration is required."
The World Cup is set to see men's, women's and wheelchair tournaments proceed at the same time, the women's tournament also being an expanded version of the last iteration, held in Australia during 2017 when the hosts were crowned champion in both the men's and women's tournaments.
