By Dave Woods BBC Sport in Sydney

Under normal circumstances, we would have a chance to lick our wounds, assess the damage, repair morale and try to fire back at the Aussies a week later.

If this were a three-Test series, we would have a better understanding of whether this was a one-off disaster of unbelievable proportions, or whether it was a true reflection of the gulf in class between them and us.

As it is, the British players fly home knowing only that the British game is in its worst state of depression ever.

What should have been a triumphant return of Test match football to the Sydney stage became a clear and concise case for why this city has not really been bothered about Britain's ten-year absence.

But there are conclusions to be drawn. Great Britain are not as bad as this scoreline suggests.

They will not use the argument, but six days from a standing start in Manchester to a Test match in Australia is clearly asking too much.

Let us not forget that Australian sides, both international and club, have floundered in similar circumstances travelling the other way.

One-off Tests may have seemed to be the only answer to providing international rugby league in crowded domestic schedules, but there now has to be a re-think.