Lindsay, who attended the game in his role as vice-chairman of the Rugby League International Federation, said he was pleased by the interest in the game down under.

And he said there was no reason to think that Great Britain could not bounce back from their humiliation.

"It was a money-spinner with a fantastic crowd and the best-ever ratings," said Lindsay.

"They rubbished us when we lost in Sydney 10 years ago - a week before we won in Melbourne.

"No one said New Zealand were finished when Australia beat them by 50 points two years ago, and no one said Origin was dead after New South Wales beat Queensland by 40-odd points.

"It's not so long ago that the England rugby union team came out here and were flogged.

"You can't only have international competition provided Great Britain win. It doesn't work like that.

"What we obviously have to do is to learn from what happened."

Australia captain Andrew Johns, who converted 10 of his side's 11 tries to equal the goals-in-a-match record for Anglo-Aussie Tests, also believes there has been an over-reaction to the most one-sided match in Ashes history.

"It will be an insult to a great Australian performance if all we hear is that international football is dead," he told the Telegraph.

"Rather than simply put the boot into the Poms, what has to be looked at now is getting a sensible and viable programme up and running to ensure we have real contests in the future.

"One-off Tests in the middle of the season are obviously not the answer."

Johns also lent his support to the beleaguered Waite - who is under pressure to hand on the reins to his assistant Brian Noble.

Australia Rugby League chairman Colin Love, also chairman of the RLIF, said he remained determined to push ahead with more international fixtures.

"If they are going to come again it has to be for a full tour, with warm-up games and a proper preparation," said Love.

"International football is very important, and it is our job to get it back to the level it was 20 or 40 years ago."