A punishing first week together having been rounded off with a resounding victory Scotland’s rugby league players believe they are in the best possible shape for the formidable challenge that lies ahead as they confront the world’s best on three consecutive weekends.

Perhaps only a three match rugby union Test series against the All Blacks could be considered comparable with what confronts the team that calls itself ‘the Bravehearts’ as they get ready to take on world champions Australia, hosts England and the previous World Cup holders New Zealand in the Rugby League Four Nations tournament.

By far the strongest squad assembled since a rag, tag and bobtail national side first represented Scotland in the mid-nineties, they completed that training week, spent at Oriam, the new national performance centre at Heriot-Watt University, with a warm-up match in Barrow on Friday evening.

The result of a match which was also being staged as a testimonial for local lad Liam Harrison who has devoted his whole career to Barrow Raiders, was pretty impressive as a Cumbria XIII was swept aside 48-16 with nine tries registered.

However the scale of the effort put in on the back of a long season for many of the Scots, not least Lewis Tierney and Matty Russell who had been confronting one another for Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves in Super League’s Grand final less than a fortnight earlier, was evident at times and the Scotland management will consequently have to be careful with the work-load they subject their men to ahead of Friday’s Four Nations opener against Australia in Hull.

Not that there were any complaints from their charges, as demonstrated by the attitude of Dale Ferguson, their powerful prop.

“We’ve had the best prep,” said the 28-year-old, who returns to Super League with former club Huddersfield Giants next month after three years at Bradford Bulls.

“The coaches said the camp in Edinburgh was going to be tough and it was, really tough. The first week of training was always going to be packed. We had two sessions a day but the facilities there were outstanding. Now I’m just looking forward to playing against the best in the world.”

The match in barrow was vital for the Scots, allowing the coaches to have a look at some of the newcomers to the squad while trying different combinations.

Ferguson consequently started out alongside familiar figures in Brett Phillips, Adam Walker, Liam Hood and Ben Kavanagh, but there was one debutant in the pack in Frankie Mariano and Australian-based duo Sheldon Powe-Hobbs and Billy McConnachie as well as Hull KR youngster Kieran Moran were also given a first taste of representing Scotland.

“It’s what happens with internationals,” said Ferguson.

“You’ve got to play with new guys when you come into camp and get on with it as quickly as possible. It was about getting to know everyone and get combinations going.

“It was tough as the opposition came out to give to us a bit and represent Harrison. Take no credit away from them but it’s all about building for us, seeing different players in different positions and combinations. We swapped and changed it. It’s building blocks for next week.”

Ferguson, who made his debut six years ago and was Scotland’s player of the year in 2011, is among those who are central to ensuring that the newcomers understand and commit to the culture that has allowed the national team to exceed all realistic expectations in recent years in reaching the 2013 World Cup quarter-final before qualifying for this Four Nations competition by getting the better of much better resourced Wales and France sides in winning the following year’s European Championships.

“I love playing for Scotland and representing my family,” he said.

“Every time I come into camp it’s always a close knit group of boys. That’s one of the qualities of playing for Scotland. We are a big family-based thing. The new boys have gelled and settled in straight away. They’ve been here a week but you’d think they’d have been here a lot longer.”