I know the modern day game of Rugby League appears more entertaining with the expanse of the Media and the introduction of more technological advancement but I can't help but think the modern game is missing a lot of the past eras of players grit, loyalty to the club, toughness, brilliance, team unity, reserve, etc.... the tackles were either unlimited, or 4 tackles, less bench players, less stoppages per game, no HIA, no trainers on the field, no video ref's, no sin bin, less injuries, and yet the game to me seemed for the most far better a spectacle than today's modern game. In my personal opinion of course. The seating was far more uncomfortable but the grass was great to sit on. Far less interference from referees as well. Has the game gone pear shaped and soft?
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I actually asked Steve Edge about this back in 2020, he thinks today's game is so much tougher. As he put it to me, their professionalism and physicality is so much greater than what he had back in his era. In his day, you might have one or two blokes in a tackle, these days you run the ball into a brick wall every play.
You've got to be incredibly tough to play rugby league in the NRL these days. The intensity of the game is unlike anything it's ever been.
Trevor Gillmeister said a similar thing.
Mike Tyson hit with around 7-8G force. Only a trained fighter jet pilot could handle that without going unconscious.
One modern day NRL game gets hundreds of collisions over 20G up to 100G, and perhaps over.
I say 20G because the instruments that measured the NRL modern day hits maxxed out at 20G.
We talking serious force; a few hundred car collisions a game. Exactly how Russell Crowe tried to sell the game to the Yanks.
NRL players are all tough. Gladiators that also could pay a hefty price. A majority of long term, elite rugby league players will be lucky to avoid brain damage, such as CTE, which they can only diagnose only after death (and it's by donor only). Commonsense tells you if you keep bashing something, eventually it doesn't end up in great shape.
The game is tough it's always been tough. The game is faster today but would it be faster if all the forwards had to play 80 minutes, I doubt it.