Is the rugby league World Cup a waste of time? COOPER Cronk was walking through the streets of Manchester the other day with a few Kangaroo teammates when someone stopped him and asked for a photo. Then the bloke handed Cronk the camera and smiled back at the NRL superstar. It's fair to say the Aussies haven't exactly been the focus of everyone's attention in the countdown to tonight's World Cup opener against England. On Monday there were two backpackers blokes, we should point out standing outside team hotel waiting to get some memorabilia signed. But that was a one off. And flicking through one of the country's most popular papers during the week there were seven straight pages on football leading the sports section, followed by four on rugby union and the Rugby League World Cup followed cricket. And the league page wasn't a full page and it was about the Burgess brothers. The BBC TV news sports break is the same. Football, football, football, rugby, cricket. Not a mention of rugby league. Sonny Bill's hardly been sighted. So much for this being, as tournament organisers sold it, the biggest global sporting event of 2013. But is the World Cup a waste of time? This is the question a lot of people have been asking this week and this is where it gets tricky. Because while it might not be the biggest event in England this year, to the players and the people who are going to turn up here to support the event, just to be a part of it is something incredibly special. Take Greg Inglis" attitude towards it. He could have easily stayed at home and pulled the pin after carrying that knee injury around for the backend of the season. Yet you have never seen Inglis as happy as he has been the last week. He rooms with Darius Boyd and the two of them are constantly by each other's side, just enjoying each other's company, the occasion. Across the nations there are similar stories everywhere. There is a bloke playing for the United States named Loto Tagaloa who makes his living in Hawaii fire dancing with knives and climbing coconut trees. True story. He was telling us about it the other day, how one day the Tomahawks were playing a game in Hawaii against Tonga and the Americans were short a player so they threw him some boots. Now he's in the United Kingdom playing at the World Cup. He tells you that this is the greatest experience of his life. Just to be here. He's never been to the UK before. He grew up in a tiny village in Samoa. The Americans don't get paid a cent, or a penny. Neither do the Italians. Anthony Minichiello captained the Sydney Roosters to this year's NRL premiership over here he gets meal allowance. And he's loving every minute of it. Mini was at the official launch the other day smiling the entire time and shaking everyone's hand like they were his long lost mates. And across all the developing nations it would be a similar story. No money all about the love of the game. This is what makes this tournament so special for traditional league fans. For once it's not all about money. Forget about trying to win over the world, the players are just enjoying it for what it is. In fact, the poor Poms appear to be the only nation whinging, which is probably understandable. Last weekend they lost to Italy in the biggest boilover in rugby league history and ever since they've turned on each other. They should be thanking their lucky stars rugby league is not the biggest sport in England. And it won't get any better for them tonight when they take on the Kangaroos who really appear to be on a mission. Speaking of the Aussies, watching from close range the effort that goes into keeping 24 young players happy and out of trouble 24-7 is an event in itself. Already England had to send Gareth Hock packing for playing up on the drink and another from another nation, we are told, had a punch-up with a member of the team's management at the airport and then got sent home. But in the Kangaroos" camp, it's clockwork. They have a touring party of 13 support staff and they all work day and night to make sure no stone is left unturned in this hunt for rugby league's holy grail. At any one time 10 players can be lining up at the physio's makeshift office that they set up in all the team hotels waiting to get treatment. But eight weeks living out of each other's pockets is going to test anyone's patience. Some marriages don't even last that long. Johnathan Thurston laughed his head off at that little joke during the week. He's been rooming with Sam Thaiday on tours like this "as long as I can remember." Do you ever drive each other mad? "Na, never," Thurston giggled. We look after each other. We've got each other's back that's for sure. He's the tidy one and I'm the untidy one. Does that surprise you? This is Australia's longest rugby league tour since 2000 but back in the old days they used to have to get the boat to England. Cook Islands coach David Fairleigh was saying in 1994 he played 20 of 22 matches when he was away with the Kangaroos. This year Australia can only play a maximum of six if they make it all the way to the final on November 30 at Old Trafford. But even with one game a week from here on, eight weeks is still a long time away from home. Cameron Smith was thinking about it the other day. The Australian skipper is known for his ice-cool composure at all times but when he got talking about his kids, you could have sworn there was a hint of mist in his eyes. Being captain, at least he gets his own room, and his best friends on this tour are Skype and FaceTime. "I miss home, I definitely miss home," Smith said. I've got three children and it was really hard to say goodbye to them this time. The two oldest are four and five so they sort of know that I'm going to be gone for a long time. But my little girl, she is just starting to talk. "And when she says "bye daddy," you know, it was really hard to walk away. It took me about 15 minutes to walk away. But it's great to have that technology now where you can say hello and actually see them. I don't know how the guys back in the day did it, pick up the phone and just speak to them. It's nice to be able to see their face.