Tina Turner may have hollered "You're Simply the Best" during Rugby League's landmark television commercials of the 90s.

However, it's perhaps ironic in this, the NRL's Centenary Year that "the greatest game of all" may well become the game forgotten by all.

The shock departure at the weekend of the game's biggest star, Sonny Bill Williams to play Rugby Union in France was another setback for CEO, David Gallop.

More importantly, it rammed home the growing realisation League is facing its greatest crisis since the infamous Super League war which irrevocably tarnished its image.

Then as now, players were lured with money.

Only this time, it's the very game Dally Messenger turned his back on 100 years ago which is threatening League's very existence.

This year's NRL departure lounge is as crowded as it is distinguished.

Australian Kangaroos Craig Gower and Mark Gasnier to French Rugby. Ryan Cross and Timana Tahu to the Wallabies.

Indeed Cross and Tahu were among familiar company in Australia's Tri-Nations test against the All Blacks at the weekend. After all, it wasn't too long ago Wallabies regular Lote Tuqiri was more commonly known for his NRL exploits.

But that's not where it ends.

Aggressive marketing by AFL officials and the growing popularity of football's A-League signal further difficult times ahead.

Perhaps an experience a few years ago highlights the NRL's failure to find new markets outside its traditional blue collar heartland.

Here was SBS, covering a story regarding players with a non-English speaking background.

Rabbitohs great, Mario Fenech at the time was my point of contact. The Maltese-Australian was talking about his own experiences and the need to spread the game to all demographics.

And yet at the end of the interview, an unnamed NRL official was genuinely surprised the network was doing a story on the subject.

If the current player drain is allowed to continue, there'll be no surprise at League's ongoing demise.

The All Blacks know all about slumps after losing to the Wallabies at the weekend.

The win itself was a personal triumph for jilted New Zealand coaching candidate Robbie Deans who has now led the Wallabies to five victories from as many matches since taking charge.

Guess who's in the firing line now?

And finally, Cadel Evans' dreams of becoming the first Australian to win world cycling's greatest race were shattered after finishing runner-up for the second consecutive year at the Tour de France.

Spaniard Carlos Sastre knew all he had to do in this morning's ride into Paris was avoid an accident and the yellow jersey would remain on his back.

That's exactly what he did.

What a year it has been for the Iberians.

Rafael Nadal proved supreme at the French Open and Wimbledon and who could forget their national football team's breakthrough European Championship win last month?

And now this.

You could almost hear the Spanish trumpets again wailing through the streets of Madrid.

The tune?

Eviva Espana.