MARK ‘SPUDD’ CARROLL: Zac Lomax’s Kangaroos heroics could see him stay on the wing for Parramatta in the NRL

As I watched the Test match between the Kangaroos and Kiwis, an idea hit me like a good old fashioned stiff arm to the head.

We need more of this.

Australia’s tough 22-10 win in front of a sold-out crowd across the ditch, reminded me just how good Test footy can be.

It was old school, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

I loved the passion.

Look at rival skippers Isaah Yeo and James Fisher-Harris.

They’ve won four straight premierships together at the Panthers, yet they were ripping into each other from the first set.

What about Jamayne Isaako’s tears during the New Zealand national anthem? Or Shaun Johnson coming out of retirement to help out his nation? He was inspirational in a losing side.

And how about Zac Lomax’s determination to score two tries for the Kangaroos, bursting out of Kiwi defenders?

Just brilliant.

The stadium at Christchurch was packed with 17,000 people – in a traditional rugby union stronghold. They were cheering Johnson like he was Dan Carter from the All Blacks glory days.

It shows there is a real appetite for international rugby league.

We need to make room in the calendar for more Test matches.

If I’m Peter Vlandys and Andrew Abdo at the NRL, I’d be bringing back the mid-season international weekend for starters.

Give all the club teams a spell and have the Kangaroos take on the Kiwis. You could also have Tonga v Samoa and Papua New Guinea v Fiji.

This could be done leading up to State of Origin.

You could cut a few rounds from the NRL to help make it happen.

Broadcasters wouldn’t mind too much, because you would be replacing Gold Coast versus Canberra with Australia versus New Zealand.

No one’s going to complain about that.

The rise of the Pacific Island nations, and the inclusion of PNG in the NRL (we keep hearing it’s going to happen) means there’s plenty of momentum in the international game.

We need to keep it going.

I’m excited by reports the old Kangaroo Tour is going to be revived, perhaps as soon as next year.

It won’t be exactly like the old days unfortunately.

I was part of the 1990 Kangaroo Tour and we were away for months, because we played against club teams as well as Test matches against Great Britain and France.

I was a young forward at that stage of my career and was part of Australia’s “second” team – dubbed The Emus – who played mid-week against teams like Cumbria and Hull.

I had the time of my life over there and it’s still spoken about as one of the best Test series of all time.

Any new tour would be a lot quicker with a warm-up game then straight into three Tests against England.

It’s a big step in the right direction.

I also think the Kangaroos need something to match the New Zealand haka.

How good is it watching the passion of the Kiwi players performing their traditional pre-game routine?

Maybe we get Raygun to whip something up for us.

The boys could all jump around like kangaroos!

On a more serious note, I can’t write this column without mentioning Lindsay Collins.

This bloke plays in the front row but continues to play like an outside back.

He ran 40 metres to score Australia’s first try. Forty metres! Props aren’t supposed to do that.

But then again, Collins also outleapt fullback James Tedesco to set up a crucial try for Queensland in State of Origin last year.

The bloke is a freak.

But I thought the best player on the park was hooker Harry Grant.

He was always scheming in attack and topped the tackle count with 55.

Lomax was outstanding as well.

When he crashed over for his second try, I couldn’t help but think of his new NRL club Parramatta.

The guy is killing it on the wing, but he’s said in the media that he’ll be playing in his preferred position of centre at the Eels.

I wonder what new Parramatta coach Jason Ryles thinks of that?

Lomax is having the best season of his career – as a winger.

Good luck with that one Rylesy.

AND DON’T GET ME STARTED

Speaking of Parramatta, I hope the Eels know what they’re doing with Clint Gutherson.

From all reports it looks like they’re happy to let him go if the Dragons can come up with a deal.

That would leave new signing Isaiah Iongi as Parramatta’s fullback for next season.

He’s played the grand total of one NRL game!

Not just that, he’d be filling the boots of a guy who’s played 211 NRL games and scored 100 tries. Gutherson also represented NSW.

I hope the new kid can play!

Depending on what happens with Ezra Mam, maybe Gutho could end up at the Broncos as a five-eighth.

If Mam is found guilty of drug-driving offences which injured members of the public in that car crash last week, he’ll be looking at a fair spell out of the game.

If the Broncos don’t take action, I’m sure the NRL will.

Some time out of the game, working in the community would be a good reality check for young players who bring the game into disrepute.

I feel sorry for the Broncos’ new coach Michael Maguire.

He’s only just lobbed at the joint and he’s walked straight into an inferno.

Old Madge only had a few millimetres of hair.

I reckon it’s fully gone by now.