Basically players being very matey with the opposition during the 80 minutes.

In all honestly. It’s starting to really get on my nerves.

There used to be a time when our game was a war on the pitch and no quarter was given to your opponent. No eye contact was made in the tunnel, injured players (unless serious) were left in a snotty heap and there was very little laughing and joking between the teams.

Feel that has now departed our game and I think that it is just softening a game that has over the years lost so much off the aggression.

Watching the test series thus far and for me, there is just to much of this high fiveing and back patting going on.

I’ll be honest and say the lack of biff in out game has taken away a lot of the spectacle. Not simply because of the lack of fisty cuffs, more that we no longer really get the big sense of spice that came with that first hit up after the scrap had finished and penalty had been given.

Maybe I’m talking out my backside. However I do think that this culture of playacting or cheap digs is borne from little on field retribution occurring. Instead we are treated to shirt grabbing, bit of gobbing off and then bat patting after the fracas.

It’s making the game frustrating to watch

Honestly is becoming like football and I had to stop watching that because of the playacting and softness.

Listen. I get it’s close season and therefore I’m maybe just bored.

But they used to describe our game as a gladiatorial event. I genuinely don’t think it deserves that title anymore.

Tough - yes
War of extreme fitness and attrition - yes
Uncompromising- mmmmm not sure that’s still the case

After the final whistle blows them yes absolutely embrace your foe as a friend. I love that aspect of both codes of Rugby.

But save it for the final whistle eh lads..

I think with travel being better, people playing together in the same comps and the internet have made it like that now

Go back and watch the Hull game, they snotted each other for 80 minutes! Then at Anfield we get Burgess banned for gouging (not condoning it, but hardly matey). Today was a dead rubber and a walkover, so naturally less intense, but we still had a NZ player getting binned, and England looking to carry it on.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the fights, and I think players will naturally know each other better now due to social media, the fact we have more players in the NRL etc, but I think the OP is exhaggerating. As an aside, this isn't totally gone from the game Tuggles - not sure where you are from, but the Championship (or NCL for a cheaper option which may be more local) both offer far more of the aggression you are missing. Get yourself down to Swinton v Rochdale, Ince v Pats, Fev v anyone for your fix of biff!

The Kiwis certainly haven’t decided to be all matey on the field. They must have produced the largest number of high shots in a three game series on record (yet mostly all went unpunished).

I thought we were a bit too nice at points considering the treatment we were getting but then we won the first two games so who cares. I doubt we’d be quite as mild mannered if the Aussies came over.

Sam Burgess probably wouldn't have been nice to them, particularly if one of his brothers got clobbered.

I understand the social media/modern world, but I also think the removal of the worst of the really nasty stuff that used to go on in the game (genuine coathanger high shots, use of elbows and fighting in general) probably means players have less reason to really dislike one another anyway.

I thought the first two tests were pretty intense and the kiwis were pretty dirty and looking for trouble. The patting on the back seems more sarcastic and looking for a reaction rather than being pally.

There's also the 21st century discipline factor.

I remember a time when almost every Test match used to start with a massive punch-up, which if nothing else, would whip the crowd into a frenzy.

But that rarely happens now. Players who trade on the biff just wouldn't last with modern refereeing and video surveillance.

Penalties are awarded for the slightest infraction, and you don't even need to get a red or yellow card to pick up a lengthy ban.

Whether that's a good thing, or bad, I don't know. It means the players get greater protection, but it reduces the gladiatorial atmosphere that used to pervade RL especially in the international arena.

Recently retired from playing the game after 20yrs at prop playing at various levels including internationally and semi pro before going back to amateur.

A lot of the players I played against at amateur I’ve played with and against and become good friends with some of them. Me personally I like to have a bit of a laugh with the opposing players, I find it makes for a much better game and I played better as well, always wanting to get one over on my mate. Id be lying if I said it never boiled over, because it did but we’d still have a laugh about it at games end or if we’d both been sent off; have a joke about it on our way back to the sheds.

However that’s amateur, in the paid ranks I’d expect all friendliness to be left at the sidelines and the players go to war. That’s not to say they should have a good old fashioned punch up every match (though I do bloody miss the biff) but there has to be a good level of aggression between the sets of players. Having said that there’s absolutely players on opposing sides who are very good friends whom I’d have thought would adapt a similar attitude to me in that you’d want to smash your mate to get one over on him.