My recollection at the time was that there was no way RA could justify competing with that money for a 17 year old and that it was a better outcome to let the NRL develop him and then buy him back later. Which is exactly what has transpired, probably a bit over what was anticipated though.
He was openly telling the boys at the school that he much preferred playing rugby but the money was too good to knock back. He wasn’t allowed to play in year 12 so was basically the water boy for the 1st XV that year, and the following year he was watching the Kings games every Saturday that he didn’t have an NRL clash, passing balls around with the kids, signing autographs etc.
Class act off the field as well as on it.