We've come to expect spectacular things in the NRL.
Reece Walsh burning defenders, Nathan Cleary's precise kicking game, Payne Haas playing 80 minutes in the middle and getting through a mountain of work - all astonishing, with a high degree of difficulty.
It's important to remember just how spectacular these efforts really are. It feels very normal now that a player like Jahrome Hughes steered Melbourne to yet another grand final appearance.
Now imagine suggesting that back when he was bouncing around the Queensland Cup in the Titans' and Cowboys' second grade systems - it would seem far-fetched and you would have likely been met with a strong sense of incredulity.
What Hughes has achieved at the Storm is unbelievable, so too are the reclamation projects of guys like Tom Dearden and Jamal Fogarty.
Halfback play is a critical throughline amongst the most successful clubs in the league, and many of those players have washed-out at their previous stops.
It is the most scrutinised position in our game and the development path is rarely linear - from being scouted as a junior to delivering premierships for the organisation that discovered them.
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The NRL has a halfback development problem
Wide World of Sports are reporting today that Lachlan Ilias could be on his way out at the Dragons after just one season in Wollongong.
After a stint with the Rabbitohs, the 25-year-old was given just seven games in the Red V before being relegated to New South Wales Cup.
As the season wore on, Ilias found his footing in his new colours which reflected in his on-field performance.
He had 16 try assists on the season as well as 10 four-pointers of his own, leading the Dragons into the Cup grand final.
The report indicates that Gold Coast could be his next home where he'll be mentored by rookie coach Josh Hannay.
If you thought seven games was a limited sample size to evaluate a halfback, try Lewis Dodd's six NRL appearances on for size.
The Englishman was brought in on a big wicket to solve the Rabbitohs' post Adam Reynolds hangover that has debilitated the club for three seasons now.
Far be it from me to preach to Wayne Bennett about how to manage a young player's development, but his public criticism of the 23-year-old seemed antithetical to long-term success, particularly when he was already low on confidence.
Another player who would've had his confidence knocked by the way the 2025 season played out is Bulldogs playmaker Toby Sexton.
Sexton was doing all the things that an emerging halfback should do when they are trying to usher in winning habits.
He was playing within the timing of the offence which unlocked Canterbury's strike weapons out wide.
When you've got players like Stephen Crichton and Jacob Preston running off you, there's no utility in overplaying your hand.
The reported justification for the Bulldogs decision to replace Sexton was that he didn't have the attacking upside to deliver a premiership.
At least that reasoning had some forethought, because as each day passes, I'm still waiting for someone to provide a cogent explanation for why the Cowboys let Tom Duffy out of their building.
He was an Australian schoolboy in 2021 but it took all of six NRL games for North Queensland to come to the conclusion that he wasn't the man to partner Tom Dearden long-term.
I don't think there is one cut-and-dried way to turn a fringe first grader into a franchise halfback.
But there are enough recent success stories to identify the ideal conditions for a halfback's revival.
The keys to a successful halfback reclamation
Did the talent disappear, or did it just go on holiday?
Every halfback who is having success in the modern game comes from some level of pedigree.
That doesn't mean that you have to be a world-beater out of the gates, but to make your way into an NRL top 30 you have to have displayed an elite set of skills at one point.
This may seem like an obvious thing to say, but it's important to remember that these halves aren't average - they were usually one of the best players in their age group.
That talent doesn't disappear, it just needs to be nurtured in the right system with the necessary coaching points.
What were their previous stops?
If a player made their start at a dysfunctional club without a proven track record for developing halfbacks, they may be worth taking a second look at.
Take Ilias for example: he played one game under Wayne Bennett before Jason Demetriou took the reins.
He then made his way to the Dragons who haven't had a homegrown halfback pan out at the club since Ben Hornby.
He'll now move to the Titans who notoriously can't get out of their own way - maybe he's not all to blame.
Be sure to manage expectations
An important factor to consider when accepting the risk of signing a reclamation project is that you are doing so with the knowledge that it is a buy-low spot.
Smart teams aren't releasing proven halves from their contracts early, so don't set the bar too high for someone playing a position that demands a few learning curves before mastery.
Clubs should also manage their own expectations - understand whether you are actually in a premiership window or if you should be blooding youngsters at the position instead.
Empower your coaching staff
A favourite cliché amongst the rugby league community is that the weight of the result lands on the shoulders of the halfback.
Like training wheels on a bike, developing halves need safeguards in place for when they inevitably fail.
One way to achieve this is stability in the coaching ranks so that the athlete feels comfortable in the system that they're running.
Chopping and changing the attacking minds that spearhead an operation often also coincides with a revolving door in the No. 7 jersey.