The slow PTB will always be the entertainment-killer for me. Defences are so well-drilled these days anyway, so the last thing the sport needs is giving defences another boost. We know some teams (*cough* piescum *cough*) make the 'dark arts' of slowing the PTB central to their entire gameplan.
It all makes for a borefest arm-wrestle.
Some will suggest that the points/tries scored tally hasn't changed that much, but we need to consider the method of scoring.
Look back to the first decade or so of SL, and see the proportion of tries scored from at least 20m out and 40m, compared to close-range barge-overs and tries from kicks. Similarly, even the close range tries will have almost certainly have had a break or two leading up to them.
These days, it's all too often a grind-a-thon. Teams playing for territory, inching up the field in short distances (5-20m) per tackle. Wingers and centres used primarily to run the ball into organised defences early in tackle counts.
Offsides are rarely enforced, and Warrington make persistent offside part of their gameplan - they'll rotate which player(s) will charge out of the line (just before the PT
to close down the first receiver and nullify attacks.
Warrington also deploy the cheat of 'strategically timed HIA's'. I've mentioned before how frequently one of their players goes down clutching their head when then opposition make a break and look to attack a disorganised defence, or when they're desperately defending their line.
In all, I'm sick of cynical stretching/exploiting of the rules. All coaches will try to suss out ways to make the rules work to their team's advantage, but in the last 10-15 years, we've seen this concept stretched into what I would consider cheating. And the worst aspect is, this is all making the game far less attractive as an entertainment spectacle, turning off casual fans.