A group of rugby league greats, handed SCG life membership on Thursday, have joined the push for Test matches to be returned to the historical venue on a permanent basis.

Australia will meet New Zealand on Friday night in the first SCG Test since 1986, the game being held 100 years to the day of the first Test between the two sides at the same venue.

Former Test backrower Ron Coote, named recently in rugby league's Team of the Century, said he would love to see international rugby league played at the SCG all the time.

Coote was one of nine rugby league greats, all of whom were named in the greatest 100 players to play the game, given SCG life membership.

Joining him were Arthur Beetson, Bob Fulton, Noel Kelly, Graeme Langlands, Bob McCarthy, Norm Provan, John Raper and Arthur Summons.

Coote, a former Souths and Easts backrower, was a regular at the SCG for both club and country and said playing at the ground carried a certain aura.

"I think it would be great," Coote said of bringing Test football back to the ground.

"This was the historical home of rugby league, we loved it here.

"You ask all these guys about the tradition and memories that we've all got from this old ground - we'd all come here for sure."

It was a sentiment echoed by McCarthy, the former Rabbitohs legend and now Kangaroos selector.

"It's been a marvellous buzz for all us players that have played here," he said.

"Noel Kelly said you should never have taken the game away from here because that's what you always aspired to - it's just a shame that we did."

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