Just watching Challenge Cup highlights on the BBC. It confirmed to me how poor todays game is.

When you watch back to back highlights you realise the 10 metre rule, not being allowed a quick play to yourself, video refs and multiple subs have not improved the entertainment value..

It's a lot more than that. The main factor is that player's fitness is now probably too good, however bizarre that might sound.

We are now in an era where there is little physical difference between players, whatever their position, bar the odd anomaly like BMM.

Because of this, the sport has become far more rigid & formulaic. 'Flair ' players are very rarely seen anymore. Coaches are more inclined to concentrate on the 13 man unit, than base a strategy around a maverick type player.

Ultimately, though the quality of the individual player as improved, the game as an entertainment product as diminished... in a professional era, it's unlikely to ever entertain in the way it once did.

I think what annoys me most these days is that they've brought new rules in that get flouted all the time & produce games like what we watched in the cup highlights. The problems start when the ref starts to apply the rules not even handedly so why not just do away with these rules & let the game flow again ?Simplify the game & just police the dangerous bits & offsides instead of being pedantic when it suits.

To counter it slightly they aren't just showing random highlights, they are showing the classic games. There were plenty of low quality error fests in those days as well, as well as plenty of games where they just focused on violence. But there was a lot inventiveness in those days, far more players in motion and players far more willing to look for a pass. Countering again the defending was woeful at times, they can't cope with any sort of angled run and it took sides an age to get back after a break. Onus is on the clubs and coaches of junior clubs, particularly in Australia to lead the way on that and change the game. You see that all the time at junior age over here, the coaches screaming at them to complete the sets and encouraging scoot sets so there are no errors.