I'm sorry but it's a bit of a myth , at least in Rugby League ; about players being respectful - speak only when spoken to and all that
There was an article in the Liverpool Echo as they obviously cover Widnes , Warrington and St Helens - I get given old Echos
and the LEP off my dad's mate who goes out on the buses .
They're handy if you
try to keep up to speed as to whom Everton might be selling or loaning out from their youth and Under 23 sides ( at one time their reserves ! ) to EFL teams . Jurgen Klopp has had to raise money by trimming their squad / fringe players too at Liverpool .
The basic jist of the article was that Rugby League fans can't take the moral upper hand any more - it mentioned the amount of play the ball offences , there are far less in the NRL , the conclusion was that too many are trying to con the referee who have a difficult job as it is , cracking down on cheating , teams accusing each other of ball stealing and more . When this gamemanship doesn't work , they start creating with the referee .
I think the writer was John Lawless ?
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/authors/john-lawless/?pageNumber=1
A bit like Man U at one time , when the likes of Keane , Beckham and Neville used to bully and surround referees . Even Ferguson admitted there was a problem with dissent .
Same goes for trying to con penalties and too many awarded - trying to get them for foul or dangerous tackles , flipping their legs up and all that .
The other problem was dummy halves deliberately throwing the ball into off side positions and players getting in the way .
Having said that - I haven't followed the game for decades - when I did , it was a different game to now , some very hard players and a rough game but some of them , certainly could play !