How many years would you have signed Sam Burgess for at the end of his debut NRL season in 2010?
What about in the emotional aftermath of the epic 2014 grand final, when he won the Clive Churchill Medal with a fractured cheekbone?
At the end of 2010, a season where he was an All Star before he played a sole NRL fixture, a 10-year contract would have taken Burgess through to the age of 31.
At the end of 2014 a decade-long agreement would have pulled him up at a much riskier 35.
It was an interesting scenario to mull over last night as Burgess went head-to-head with opposite number ‘Daddy Megabucks’ Jason Taumololo in a comfortable 20-6 win to the Cowboys.
There have been all manner of factors analysed since Taumololo was announced as the recipient of a reported 10-year, $10 million deal to keep him in Cowboys colours until he is 34.
Straight away there were people who pointed at the prospect of injury, of fluctuating form, of complacency, and the general unknown.
This was balanced by those who pointed to the rate of inflation, the likelihood of salary cap rises, potential loopholes that could be exploited, and benefits to the stability, reputation and culture of the Cowboys.
It could be argued there is nobody better in the sport to compare Taumololo to at this stage of his career than Burgess.
Big Sammy has previously exuded the same sense of dominance, influence, and all-round ability that the Cowboys lock is currently cashing his cheques upon.
While it’d be unduly rough to say Burgess is just an average footballer now, he’s so far in 2017 not quite the same unstoppable force we’ve witness in previous campaigns.
If he was still signed until the end of 2020 or 2024, would you be comfortable banking his output will continue to be worth $1 million a season?
Here’s the kicker too, although I will preface this by saying I only believe a tenth of what is written in the gossip pages.
Every now and then a story will bob up about how Burgess is on the nose with teammates or that there are those in the team’s inner sanctum who resent his star billing.
Whether this is completely false or carries just an ounce of credibility, it raises the often-referenced fact that a team is more than the sum of its parts.
Taumololo could continue to gobble up 200m per game and destroy the confidence of defenders for another ten years, but we need to consider the chemistry of the Cowboys into the future.
Combinations and interactions, both on-field and off-field, are what separate great teams from good teams.
The Cowboys team of five years’ time is going to look completely different to this year’s.
Right now, Taumololo is the right fit and gels with the people around him.
What happens when a new halfback comes along that barks orders slightly differently? What happens if incoming players around Taumololo have different ideas on how deep they like to receive their passes or what angles they prefer to hit holes on? What about something as simple as them liking different musicians or movies?
All these things sound like minor considerations, but under the magnified glare of the NRL spotlight, they will shape factors like confidence, performance and relationships.
Even if – and this is a big if on its own – Taumololo himself remains the same character, delivers the same output and manages to steer clear of controversy over the next decade, those around him will continually present variables.
On a law of averages you’d have to say there will be at least one, if not several teammates who come along in the next few years who just don’t see eye-to-eye with Taumololo for whatever reason.
They might covet his position, might covet his money or simply want the Cowboys to play their way, rather than his.
I’m not here to say it’s right or wrong that North Queensland outlaid such a long-term deal.
What I do think is that people who are preparing to measure the success of this contract by tackles broken or line breaks made will be overlooking an even more engrossing aspect.
The sideshow of how management assembles the 16 players around him and keeps it one harmonious, humming machine is going to be compulsive viewing.
Being spectators, we’ll enjoy every minute of it, whichever way it plays out.
If club administrators can pull it off successfully for a decade to come, they too will have well and truly earned their money.
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