Forget what selected head-in-the-sand pundits tell you about the English top flight now being on a par with Australia's National Rugby League.
Hell, I might even have been fooling myself that the gap was closing as the countdown to this autumn's World Cup ticks down.
Then I watched Sunday morning's play off clash between Melbourne and the New Zealand Warriors.
Now, I apologise in advance for anyone who hasn't forked out the extra dosh that allows them to beam NRL coverage - transmitted by the Irish equivalent of dear old uncle Rupert - into their front room.
They'll just have to take my word for what I am about to say.
What a game.
High stakes brought high pressure, which might have translated into nervousness and errors.
It didn't. Instead, we got a high speed, high intensity clash that showcased everything that is good about rugby league.
The Warriors, eighth on the league ladder at the end of the regular season, headed down to Melbourne to face the Storm, minor premiers for the third successive season, looking for an upset to end all upsets.
They got it too, courtesy of half back Michael Witt's late, late try which sealed an 18-15 success.
It was, for the sake of argument, the equivalent of Wakefield winning at St Helens in the play offs.
Can't really imagine that, can you?
And that's the point.
There is no doubt that when Leeds and Saints meet in tomorrow night's first against second showdown they will serve up something very close to the standard of a game that will have just been played on the other side of the globe, where Brisbane will have hosted the chastened Storm in an entirely unexpected sudden death encounter.
But once you get outside the top two or three in this country, the standard drops off significantly.
In Australia, as the Warriors proved, the difference between those at the top and those at the bottom is marginal.
And that makes for a competition that still knocks ours into a cocked hat in terms of quality, a state of affairs that is hardly likely to be helped by the inclusion of Celtic Crusaders and Salford in 2009.
In a World Cup year, it has to be said that is not a good sign.

SPEAKING of play offs, how impressive were the Catalans Dragons the other night?
It's a long time since I saw a team be so physically dominant as Mick Potter's side were against Warrington.
The Cheshire side have certainly had better days, with only Adrian Morley looking physically capable of mixing it with the Catalans' forward battering rams.
After that, it was no surprise to see Wolves boss James Lowes splurge around £50k on Hull prop Garreth Carvell for next season.
They look like they need him.