I think there is too much looking back and saying wasn't it so much better in those days.
If you watch older stuff on youtube some of the defence is shambolic to the point of laughable.
Yes there were some very skilfull players but at the pace the game was being played and the terrible defence there was plenty of time to display those skills.
The old days any player with real pace had a distinct advantage - these days they all have real pace even the props.
Kallum Watkins will be as quick as 95% of all players who have ever played the game and he weighs near 16 stone - the players are just bigger, fitter and faster and that makes space on the field a premium.
I would agree a lot of players are becoming clones of a 6' 16st tackling machine - the view of modern coaches appears to be a damage limitation exercise i.e. If we don't conceed we cannot lose rather than if we score more than the opponents we also can't lose.
The quality of british coaches is also at an all time low and until that is rectified we will be serve up ragular helpings of turgid one dimensional rugby played by elite athlete that haven't even mastered the basics.
Contested scrums were a mess the hookers were almost laying flat on the ground with their feet outside of the scrum - bring them back doesn't seem to add any value as for the 5 metre rule you will see teams making negative yardage.
To sum up better coaching - watch the Aussies yesterday they did the basics really well - RL is a simple game that has a beauty in its simplicity