Don't see the problem with the Luke resigning. He hasn't been what we hoped this year (though he hasn't been as poor as some suggest), but there's unquestionably talent there. He's obviously not going to break the bank so won't stand in the way of a quality signing if one becomes available. The idea that there's no chance he steps up is crazy. People are quick to quote his age, but from a game perspective he's still a rookie. Adjusting to the pace of the NRL is always going to take time, just like it did for many of the other great players in this squad. His defense has been better than feared and he's not broken down physically. But most importantly we're playing with house money given he's likely coming in very cheap.
The panic around this position has honestly been pretty laughable. It's obviously not a strength atm but the calls to emergency bring in average players like Simpkins is exactly how you unbalance an incredibly successful squad, both from a cap and interpersonal perspective. The club has put together one of the most dominant eras in NRL history, they absolutely deserve the benefit of the doubt in how the details are managed in areas like this.