TBH, I don't find it clear at all. The simple facts are he was a journeyman half (mid 20s) who hit a purple patch last year before being injured. No one has any idea whether he could have continued that form even through the rest of the season, let alone through the rest of his career. He has also suffered an injury that may well reduce his key asset - his speed.
I must say good on him for cashing in when the opportunity has presented itself.
While all those things are true, if you look at the market across the seventeen teams it becomes very clear why clubs are chasing halves that can turn games.
There just aren't many better options, so when a guy like Metcalf with all his risk factors is leading the Dally M's and winning games with clutch plays comes on the market - then he is just commanding the going rate.
Atm the game is in somewhat of a dire state for halves, old guys like Reynolds and DCE are holding down jobs that in the past their younger selves would have pushed them out of the way (excuse the confusing time loop but you get what I mean).
This is where McFadden is a genius. He has been buying up the Junior halves market, so much so that the Warriors have become the bank of future halves talent and can hold the competition to ransom.
People keep talking about the forward depth in the Warriors pathway, but that ain't the real story here, our insane junior half depth is the secret sauce the NRL scene has completely missed the significance of.
Cleary seems to be a prospect (although I expect him to go back to Daddy) Jack Thompson is definitely a prospect, Cassius Tia is an out of the blue surprise get on a development contract (highly rated, his highlights as far as Seven skills and game management goes are off the charts - he is big, not slow, rugged, kicks 40/20s and drop goals, and those aren't even exciting stuff he does).
Then there is Jae Linane who we haven't seen but is a speed guy - and even fairly Vanilla players like Hanson are proving NRL ready when called upon.
Lets not forget how talented this five eight Harry Inch looks either, he is going to play NRL when he learns league if he sticks around in the game, I have no doubt about that.
While other clubs typically have one or two genuinely exciting junior halves in their pathways we have almost all of the cream under McFadden's strategy.
If Metcalf is a bust, it is not really a problem for us, Boyd's style of play, the platform he creates affords anyone playing alongside (CNK, CHT, Egan, Hanson) in just the last 14 days or so...that's crazy.
