This is a comparison that as others have pointed out is difficult to make.
However I do believe 2017 top Superleague/NRL sides are substantially physically fitter and fundamentally physically stronger
than the players of 2004, this would I think even up a lot if not all of any perceived skills gaps.
Backs are now almost the size of forwards and forwards are as fit as backs.

This increase in physicality is I would suggest a major contributor to the perceived/possible "game quality" issues.
I think this is particularly apparent, positively in the physicality and quality of goal line defence and
very negatively in the excessive wrestle at the tackle.
It is also causing high rate of injuries to what are after all very fit people.
( I also believe you can see exactly the same "quality issues" due to the increase in physical size/fitness of players in rugby union.)
All things being said I have enjoyed this season as much as any in the last 13 years.
Its just a different game now!!!!!
P.S. leeds 2004 would win but that may just be rose tinted glasses!!

I'm really glad for you, but from my view the SL regular season was pretty bad and a real hard watch at times across the board (some cas games apart). Obviously the last couple of weeks were great and we are on a high still but it doesn't change all that went before it.

Agree with this and I think the game in general has to address the issues that flow from the 10 metre rule, increased physicality and fitness of all the professional game and the consequent and hugely damaging increase in the number and severity of injuries to key players pretty much across the board (imagine how frustrating it must be to have been a Wigan fan this season) and the ugly farce that the ruck and PTB have become. I suggest that nobody wants to watch the wrestling at the ruck

One thing that I think definitely needs looking at are the rugby balls themselves. More and more complaints that it's like a bar of soap and whilst you expect some knock ons in wet weather it's getting to ridiculous levels now.

I've not heard a good word said about it, it should be a priority to get a better ball for next season

We never used to drop this little babies when i was at School

Never understood why they got rid of Steeden tbh.
Wrt improving the game as a whole we need the ptb regulating better in its entirety not least the diving & lack of actually ptb.
Also ditch the "refs call" or as i call it blatant guessing just refer it as try yes or no.

all good points.refs call is terrible, if ref is uncertain just go upstairs and leave it to the guy with the tech. And the VR also needs to speed up his decision making it get tedious to watch endless shot after shot after shot..just looking for a reason to allow it or not usually stemming from the ref's call.

Agree regarding the speed of the video ref,obviously they need to get it right ,but sometimes its clear as day after ten seconds and theyr still looking a minute later.

The salary cap,whilst needed, was always going to negatively effect the quality of the competion,especially the nrl cap rising how it has. 10/15 year ago all the best british players played in superleague and were suplemented by a few world class and lots of international class nrl players.

If burgessx3,hodgson,graham,widdop,whitehead were in superleague and you added the quality of nrl player we used to bring over for example a lauititi/j taomalolo...B Webb/m moylan...M Gidley/w chambers...M bai/j mansour...S Renouf/d gagai...D Furner/w graham...a Lamb/m pearce...m johns/a seizer...D albert/a johnston and many more. If you added just the 7 brits and 9 aussies/kiwis mentioned and gave 4 each to the top 4 clubs,the standard of the current superleague would go through the roof,and it would be top heavy and not as competitive top to bottom,like it used to be. Regardless of the changes in how the games played and the ruck being a mess,i think the quality of the players will determine the quality of the comptition.

The 2004 leeds team were miles better in there era than the cas 2017 team are in this era imo

I think 2010 when we were potentially at our peak , but for all those injuries not to mention the Magsy wigan incident