Shattered Rugby League bosses will today sift through the ashes of a cancelled Kangaroo tour and attempt to resurrect an end-of-season Test series.

RFL director of rugby Greg McCallum, is urging his ARL counterparts to think again, has suggested ditching the club games and playing only the Test matches, but their decision appears irrevocable.

And today efforts will be stepped up to put in place a revised international programme, both to salvage a perilous financial position at Red Hall and to provide a fitting finale to the year-long preparations of the Great Britain side.

Offers have already gone out to potential alternative tourists, with two of the other major nations, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, thought to have been approached.

Britain are already playing the fifth nation, France, later this month. "We are looking at several options," confirmed RFL spokesman John Huxley.

"We have contacted several of our overseas partners to see if we can get something together."

The League have confirmed that Great Britain's one-off Test against the French in Agen on Friday, October 26, will go ahead and so too will the England Under-21 tour to South Africa.

A Northern Ford Premiership side defeated a Super League Under-21 team 27-20 at Widnes last night in a trial match for the African tour.

Ireland, quarter-finalists in last year's World Cup, have thrown down a challenge to England and, as a last resort, the League could easily assemble an attractive-looking World XIII from the overseas players currently plying their trade in Super League.