New Zealand Top World Rankings, Sign of Times for International Rugby League

New Zealand are officially the No. 1 ranked rugby league team on the planet, confirmed in Thursday's rankings from the Rugby League International Federation.

The Kiwis take the top place from Australia, having now beaten their neighbours in each of their past three meetings. Most recently, they triumphed over a full-strength Kangaroos team 26-12 in this year's Anzac Test, getting out to a big lead and then defending resolutely in the second half.

It is a sign of the times and an indication of how far New Zealand rugby league has come since their humiliating defeat in the 2013 World Cup final. Since that tournament, the team has unearthed a handful of young talents who have added to their squad and have proved difference-makers in recent times.

New Zealand are not the only ones making strides, though.

English rugby league is as strong as it has been in a long time right now, while the Pacific Island teams have improved immensely in recent years, too. While they are still a long way off catching up in the rankings, they are now at a level where they could threaten the Australians, particularly in the case of England.

A result of this has been that the NRL, Australia's premier competition, has become more highly populated with international players. In years gone by, this was not so much the case. Indeed, there was a time when a New Zealander playing in the NRL was a shoo-in to make the Kiwi team.

Nowadays, you have to be a good NRL player to win selection.

You get the sense that it is something that has lured Australia into a false sense of security. They find comfort in the fact that their premier league is the best in the world, while continuing to focus so heavily on State of Origin, rather than ensuring they remain in front of everyone else. Even before the most recent match, the majority of predictions from Australia reflected huge confidence in their team to get the job done.

The gap has been closing in recent years, although perhaps it has not been so evident if you just look at the results. New Zealand's player depth has steadily been improving, which also has contributed to Australia's depth decreasing.

It has long been claimed to be the major strength of Australian rugby league. If it truly is, now is the time to show it. The team needs some youthful spark, particularly in the forwards. Whether it actually is there is another thing. 

They need to find it, though, and sooner rather than later if they are to reclaim their title as world's best international rugby league nation.