NEWS of Canterbury's signing of Panther Frank Pritchard to a three-year deal last week certainly caused a stir just a couple of weeks out from finals football.
It was one of the rare times that such an announcement came as a complete surprise to all and sundry.
No matter how secretive negotiations are considered to be, there is usually a leak and prospective deals soon become common knowledge.
Not so this time, and with Penrith taking on Canterbury last Monday night it added spice to an already uncomfortable situation.
Former Penrith player Matt Adamson was particularly scathing, calling for Frank to be immediately dropped to avoid any chance of derailing the Panthers' premiership prospects. He described him as "selfish" and "overpaid" and a player who hadn't lived up to expectations.
While I can understand Matt's angst, I can't blame Frank for the unfortunate timing in announcing his move.
I think everyone agrees that such a revelation so close to the start of the finals is far from satisfactory, but at the moment that is what the system allows. Even if it is somewhat distasteful and a possible distraction, that is the nature of our beast.
It's not the first time and won't be the last that it occurs.
What it should do is again draw attention to other alternatives that should be explored, especially by the new independent commission when it finally comes into being.
With his club facing criticism last week, Canterbury chief executive Todd Greenberg again raised the spectre of a draft. It seems to be a point of discussion each year but is generally viewed as something that players will not abide.
It was attempted in the early 1990s but was defeated in the High Court after Terry Hill objected to his move from Wests to Eastern Suburbs.
For the overall good I have always felt this system had strong advantages, and we have seen countless instances of players being able to make hasty arrangements to facilitate a move to another club even with families to consider.
Many sports in the world view this inconvenience as being part of being a professional sportsperson.
Adamson may have been harsh when it comes to Pritchard, but I do agree with him that the big back-rower has generally been a disappointment. It's easy to refer to him as a potential match-winner, but I can't remember when he actually was.
Over the past six weeks he has averaged 58 minutes per game but much of that time seems to be spent drifting in and out of the play. There is an argument that any heavier involvement may detract from his explosiveness, but I feel he should be able to maintain his damaging best for longer.
He may also be one of those players who needs a change. I've no doubt that Josh Perry is a perfect example of a player who was in a comfort zone and would not have reached higher honours without a wake-up call and a move to a different club.
It also prompted me to have a look at the success stories of this year when it comes to new signings.
There have been two obvious standouts who came to Sydney with big reputations, albeit quite different ones.
Englishman Sam Burgess signed with Souths amid plenty of fanfare having been personally headhunted by Russell Crowe. He carried the weighty assessment of being the best Pommy import since the great Malcolm Reilly, and I'm delighted to say that he is living up to expectations.
He has proven tough, skilful, competitive and durable having missed just one game through injury and another out suspended.
At just 22 years of age, he's only going to get a whole lot better.
So too the Roosters' Todd Carney who left Atherton, North Queensland, for Bondi Junction with more to prove off the field than on.
There was always little doubt that the versatile five-eighth had what it took to be a star in the best of company, but talent alone is never enough for that to come to fruition. Fortunately for the Roosters, under the direction of Brian Smith, Todd seemingly has the necessary balance in his life and it is being expressed on a weekly basis to the detriment of opposition teams.
It is still difficult not to feel for the Canberra Raiders.
In a similar situation, Greg Bird joined the Titans after a tumultuous and controversial period in his life in which he was basically sacked by the Sharks. You had to wonder whether the temptations of the Gold Coast strip would prove to be a good mix.
It has been, and Greg may just have emerged as the key ingredient to a team that have consistently threatened but failed when it has came to the big end-of-season matches.
Penrith are also looking good with a top-four finish, and much of their success has been due to astute buying.
With injury concerns for Luke Walsh and Lachlan Coote, Travis Burns becomes particularly valuable and has revelled in the extra responsibility. He was tremendous on Monday night, and it was no surprise that it was his effort to charge down Brett Kimmorley's field goal attempt that led to an unlikely win.
Out wider, Adrian Purtell has been consistently solid and seems to be over the niggling injuries that hampered him in Canberra. I'm very surprised that for the last two weeks he has gone to the wing in a swap with Brad Tighe. I'm tipping they'll be switched back in the near future.
Hooker Kevin Kingston has also been impressive and has emulated the feats that helped Parramatta through to last year's decider.
My rookie of the year is James Maloney who has solved the Warriors' halfback problem that has existed since the retirement of Stacey Jones.
The former Central Coast resident and Melbourne Storm player has been a calming influence on a side that have craved on-field leadership, and his 77 per cent goalkicking percentage has been an added bonus.
Big men Dave Taylor and Jason Ryles have thrown their weight around constructively for most of this year. Every now and then Jason still has a silly mistake in him but not as often.
Roosters speedster Phil Graham has played his best football, crossing for eight tries in 20 games, and Ben Farrar has proven to be an inspired mid-season signing for Manly from the Cowboys.
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