Quote: Aboveusonlypie "No doubt that 'Defence' has improved. The standard overall (attack, defence and entertainment) is debatable.'"
I think the defensive tactics have changed, but overall i don't teams are defensively better. I'd argue the attacking quality has severely diminished as has the standard of play. Now saying that if both yours and my statements are correct there should have been a lot more blow out scores 10 years ago right i.e. attack was better and the defence was worse?
That's not the case though is it? So the defence wasn't that bad.
Quote: Aboveusonlypie "
I think that the fitness levels have improved dramatically, and because of this the defence has got much better. Teams can now get three and more men in the tackle, slow down the ptb and still get back for the next one.'"
Again has fitness improved dramatically in the last 10 years? Are guys like Lockers and Sam fitter than Faz and Radders? Tommy vs Lam or Gildart/Percival/Gelling/Moon/Watkins fitter than Gleeson, Senior or Lyon? Or is it just different tactics?
I don't think that when you compare players from 10 years ago to now there's a dramatic or immeasurable difference in their fitness or defensive capabilities. I do think they are coached a hell of a lot differently and play to a system completely different to anything seen back then as well.
