What’s the story behind it all though? What was their reason?
In hindsight it seems like complete stupidity ‘letting him go’ but maybe he wasn’t showing much at the time.
Why is he playing for the Warriors? Did he just want to go and live in New Zealand, or did no other club think he was worthwhile signing either and the Warriors gave him a shot?
He was showing plenty in the lower grades apparently, but they simply prioritized others over him. Just like Walker wasn't seen as a major priority target signing and they wanted to make him a fullback too, which was the final straw and he went off to the Roosters.
Playmakers are hens teeth. When you have exceptional ones in the lower grades, you sacrifice all other players to hold on to them. Sure they many won't turn out but tough, that is the gamble that has to be taken in regards to playmakers.
When I say you sacrifice all other players, I'm using hyperbole for affect. If you are competent and know what you are doing as a club, it would never get to that. You would have the hand full of elite juniors coming through that you have I identified and prioritized them over all the others and if if came to having to let go of any of those the best playmakers would be the ones that you should treasure the most.
Look at Parra, is it a coincidence that we are yet to win a premiership since Sterlo retired? Lets put it this way, the current team we have now, we could maybe jag a premiership if Moses plays out of his skin come finals time, but put Thurston in there instead of Moses and what do you think our chances are then, even with the lack of speed out wide?
We haven't had the likes of a truly great playmaker in our roster playing consistently good footy long enough with a quality team around him to win a premiership. Sure some teams have won premierships without great playmakers or GOAT's, but that is the exception, like say when the sharks won it, but look at that team and they had virtually every single player in the top 17 playing the best footy of their lives, plus they had some of the most experienced players of the past decade or so to do it including a very crafty dummy half. Then that was it and they died in the arse after that though retirements mainly and some injuries. There playmakers weren't good enough to keep building around, so since then they have been trying to acquire some with limited success.
But if they had at least one great playmakers in the squad, then acquiring quality forwards or backs to put around him isn't such a hard ask. Players want to go to clubs that they know they can play their best footy off of the back of a great and consistent playmaker or otherwise the team will never really be successful and their their time there and careers will suffer.
