Its not a headache at all if playmakers dont retire when the club expects them to. The club isnt compelled to extend their Contract and if they have planned the succession they can always let the "old playmaker" go and start the new way. If it gets the point that the younger player isnt ready yet, isnt good enough or its still worth it for the club to extend the old guy, then the succession plan simply didnt work.
As an example, it would be madness for the Tigers to let Api sign at another club to keep TDS, just as Storm never punted Cam Smith for Harry Grant, but Grant was sensible enough to know where his bread was buttered, just as Im sure TDS would be more prepared to take back seat to Api if we were the Storm and not the Tigers.