It goes both ways though doesn't it Skinner? On Sunday, preceeding the Warriors game I saw Hame Lauaki, Tevita Latu and Evarn Tuimavave running around in Bartercard. Surely the skillsets they have learnt from their times would have been immensley invaluable, infact, not surely, definitely, because Hame Lauaki put on some class touches out there in particular. Each week there is 5-6-7 players back in Bartercard who are paid by the Warriors, educated by the Warriors. Those players may be playing in the NSWRL Premier League without the Warriors.
I remember early on in the piece, Daniel Anderson spent a lot of time educating Bartercard coaches as well. The Warriors could have said bugg#r it, but they didn't. Kempy to his credit also, I've heard him on Radio Sport while I was back in NZ publically telling Bluey McClennan any help the club could give to him, to give him a call, that the offer was and had always been there to any Bartercard coach.
Its not just the front liners either, the Warriors run a Development squad, whereby all those players are free to return to their Bartercard club, NJC team with no reprisal after spending quality time with quality coaches furthering their rugby league educations.
Also, in regards to this "fee", the Warriors in co-onjunction with the NZRL, but more particularly the Warriors set up a fee structure for Australian clubs to pay the Bartercard/NJC club the player was attributed to try and regain lost monies in player development.
In the case of Iafeta Paleaaesina, naturally with my sign in name I'd have to be one of his biggest fans. I can't blame Feka, I can't blame the Warriors, whats done is done and done fairly. Paleaaesina waited until he heard back from GB, and got an offer he couldn't refuse. Good on him. For those bagging the Warriors for over paying Wiki/Price, they are two of the very best bookends in the competition, on and off the field. Price I know for a fact since he's been injured has been working meticulously with Paleaaesina and Villasanti, Paleaaesina in particular in developing a side step/change of direction, which I noted he used several times against Brisbane. As for Ruben Wiki, he was the last player out of the after match function conversing with the fans, taking photos, signing autographs, kissing elderly women etc.
Whats done is done, I'm not particularly happy we've lost Iafeta Paleaaesina, but he had a fair choice to make in his life, and he made it. The club offered him a fair deal, if they were to try and match Wigan's surely we'd have lost 3-4 other players, imagine if we'd had to shed Ropati, Mannering, Vatuvei and Louis Anderson to keep him - you lot would be crying blue murder and asking for Watson to bugger off. Its a lose lose situation for him and the club, but what else could he do?
To Iafeta Paleaaesina, good luck in your future ventures. You deserve the very best for yourself, you've done the club proud on and off the field. Thank you for the memories.