For mine discarding the "spirit" of the rule makes the whole situation unsustainable as players on the margins, those who form the depth of squad and push the ultimate talents to perform will say F%$#% this, there is no chance at all for me to be seriously looked at no matter what I do in service to Australian Rugby by hanging around and playing my short pro rugby career away for far less than I can get in Euro or Yen land. A lack of ethics in a organisation has ramifications, with people often holding to the "rules" rigidly as they ensure that they get all their dues from the organisation that plays fast and free with the "rules".
I've seen in in both Private and Public enterprise.
That is before we consider the other factors of the individuals being brought back. I see RA as having a complete lack of integrity at the professional level and that has consequences, that are not immediately apparent. Just as I warned when the rules were "bent" for Elsom and then Vickerman.