People who complain the most about the no-knocking rule have probably never played elite without it. It only adds depth to the scheme, and it's not like you're gonna have a chance to knock and pile/kill worms in every game, especially since you have very limited time for the execution . It doesn't happen that often, and it forces you to find better hides.
In perspective 5 worms in a ttrr seem like a lot, 4 each would be perfect for both clanners and singles. The roper one seems to be the most controversial change, I have no idea how it's going to play out, but that's the point of this season.