The biff had been part and parcel of rugby league for a century. Condoned even. As violent play like stiff arms, spear tackles, facial massages and stomping were weeded out of the game, the punch remained. As recently as the 1980s, league bosses would say there was nothing fans liked to see more than two forwards trading blows. But the biff is an endangered species in the NRL era. In Biff: Rugby League’s Infamous Fights, Glen Humphries explores the most violent grand final, State of Origin fisticuffs, the Fibros versus Silvertails and how ‘the hits keep coming’ in the 2020s.

As well as offering a ringside view, Biff also discusses the reasons behind the fights and what happened to the players afterwards. Some escaped suspension, while others were rubbed out of the game. A few missed the chance to play in a grand final or found their careers cut short after being on the receiving end of a nasty punch.