Quote: Leeds_Luke "The players might like them, but the clubs who have invested money in the players certainly don't.
The clubs don't like that either. But have all that, and then add on another half a dozen high intensity, and historically very aggressive, games which only increases the odds of these things happening but are also meaningless beyond bragging rights.
Since sports started to be operated as businesses, and players seen as assets, the clubs look at ways of minimising risks to protect their investments. Stopping meaningless tours, test matches, and exhibition games is one way of doing that.
It's disappointing from a spectators point of view, but that's professional sport.'"
Well that is enough for me to stop being an attending spectator. If it's disappointing for spectators, yet costing more money than when it wasn't disappointing, then you'd have to be mad or a mug to continue as a spectator.
A generation of players including Sam Bugess, Sam Tomkins, James Graham, Ryan Hall, Kallum Watkins, Tommy Makinson and John Bateman have never experienced a single victory over Australia. Mainly because they rarely get the opportunity. Andy Farrell played in five victories over Australia and he's only one generation before them. And that's why none of them can be classed in historical greatness. The only time the players get awarded in the honours list these days is for doing something off the field rather than on it.