100%. The game is simply just not as good anymore as a direct result of this change.
Our game was built on this type of aggression, with a hand shake at the end of the game. Without it, it's not as exciting, and we've gone soft with the shitty melee, all in for a push and a pull, which has seen mouthy little shits get way too confident because they know they can take liberties without getting a slap.
There was nothing wrong with this type of biff - in fact plenty will say it's part of what brought them to watch. Now it's not there, a huge part of the potential spectacle has gone.
What annoys me is that the NRL introduced this "new no fighting rule".
Well hello. Its been a rule for a while, its just the refs didnt have the balls to send a bloke to the bin.
IMO if Gallen was sin binned back then, then there probably wouldnt be such an over-reaction from the NRL and the media darlings.
I mean I can think so many examples of blokes getting sin binned for throwing a punch before this supposed new rule came in.
Some good ones were Michael Weyman Vs Mark Riddell and Craig Stapleton and John Hopoate. Piggy Riddell was in the dressing rooms looking happy and pumped, even though we were getting pumped on the scoreboard. Stapleton against Manly in 2004 though his job was done but Hoppa wanted more in the tunnel lol.
Going back to that Gallen incident, the NRL told the refs to get tough but they went way over the top. I swear in a club game there was a brawl, two blokes went toe to toe throwing punches, two others were pushing and shoving, no punches in that one. Yet the refs sin binned all 4 players in a massive over-reaction. The fans were fuming.
