When I listen to this discussion, I think you all miss an important point. Wallace was not signed in place of some other superstar we could have got. There is nobody else to choose from. Am I missing someone who is on the market who is better?
As for picking juniors. I cannot agree with this point. I love the romance of a picking a junior who seems like they have amazing potential, but the reality is they are unproven and unless they are a standout (like Brooks from the Tigers) there is a better than even chance they will fail if they are thrown into first grade too early. You just have to look at the Eels and the Tigers and how they have performed with the large swathe of youngsters. Or our own team, when we had all the injuries and we started moving players from u20's to reggies and reggies to first grade. Harry Sjeika is the classic junior who everybody says was going to be the next Brandy. Brandy was already a superstar at the age Harry is now and to be honest, he doesn't look like he is going to make it. Austin is the same. We are still waiting for him to show consistent first grade form.
We don't have a clue whether our junior halves will be first grade quality, but we do know if we drop them in it now, they are likely to get physically smashed and then struggle. Read yesterdays article in the Telegraph from Ricky Stuart lamenting the gap between U20's and first grade and how it is a massive problem and unfair on the juniors who can't cope with a full season of first grade.
By all accounts Wallace has part of his salary paid by the Broncos next year, so financially it is a great outcome. The young halves can be introduced gradually to first grade in the next few seasons, by which time Wallace's contract will be coming to an end and our young halves will be in their early twenties.