The game has certainly changed due to the numerous rule changes that the powers to be - in their wisdom - bring in over the off season .
Of course the flag that they usually run up is to make the game quicker so that it is not defense oriented . However another reason is that the tele conglomerates would have a more attractive product to sell .
The day that the league sold the game to the media was the day that our beloved game began to go backwards . This six again crap is a blight on the game as are so many other changes that the NRL has introduced .
Of course I come from a time when there were only 13 players and 2 reserves ( usually 1 back and 1 forward ) and you only left the field if severely injured . Yes the game was tougher played by a breed a men that never faked injury , but nowadays we have sooks lying down and groaning and pointing their finger at the culprit who just gave them a shove in the wrong direction .
I would much rather have men playing the game tough than those spiteful hip drop and wrestling tactics which have become so prevalent in this day and age . And whilst I am on the subject what about the the gang tackling where you have 4 players holding their opponent up and then 3 of them release the player only to have the fourth player pull the ball out of his hand .
If the NRL truly believes that type of tackle is in the best interest of the game then they have peanuts for brains .
End of rant !