A successful recruitment drive can transform a side in a season. It can be the difference between a top-eight finish and a second bite of the cherry.
On the flip side, losing an important player can hinder a side and see them regress, sometimes quickly.
Heading into the 2022 season we saw the Bulldogs undertake one of the most aggressive recruitment drives in recent memory.
Across Sydney you had the Sharks shaking the ranks both on and off the field.
Brisbane landed the biggest fish of all, at least in terms of stature and contract value, when they announced the signing of Adam Reynolds.
Some big names flourished while others floundered. A number of recruits saw their careers take off and their sides benefit as a result. Others took up big chunks of the salary cap whilst offering little.
Below are the top five recruits based on their 2022 seasons. This doesn't only take into account pure results. For instance, some teams were building and despite not playing finals footy are now in better positions than this time last year due to a recruit's effort.
I think it's fair to say that Matt Burton didn't have a 2022 that matches his 2021.
I also think it's fair to say he has single-handedly transformed the Bulldogs attack.
Burton became the vocal point of his club during 2022. Everything good in blue and white came through the marquee signing.
Burton's boot arguably became the game's biggest weapon. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs didn't offer up enough around him to fully take advantage of his abilities.
In 2022 Burton scored 6 tries, laid on 14 try assists, assisted 14 line-breaks, forced 18 drop outs and kicked for over 431 metres per game.
The Dogs are a far more dangerous side with Burton on board. Not only did he largely oversee a positive turnaround of results on field but his arrival created a positive feel missing within the club's fan base for many years.
Burton, with two massive weapons arriving in the off-season, will be much in 2023 having spent a full season in the halves.
There will be some who suggest Burton underperformed in 2022 but I'd argue he played extremely well considering the pressure placed upon him.
Fogarty will be the biggest surprise to most on this list. That said, if he had avoided injury and placed a full season, he may have ranked even higher.
It is no coincidence that the Raiders' season really kicked into gear upon the return to the field of Fogarty.
The Raiders went five from eleven before Fogarty's debut for his new club. Since then they have only lost four games in fourteen matches.
3 tries, 10 try assists, 13 forced drop outs and an almost 91% tackling percentage, Fogarty has been the perfect foil for Jack Wighton.
Canberra needed a creative halfback. They took a huge punt on signing the out of favour Titan. There's no doubt Fogarty delivered in a big way.
If he had played the entire season, Canberra don't need to go on a near flawless run across the final 10 games. They instead push for the top four. Of that I have no doubt.
He'll play a huge part in the Raiders' finals run. A run he had a massive say in orchestrating.
Two months ago, Adam Reynolds sits arguably number one here. The Broncos capitulation left a sour taste in the mouth of fans and largely took away from a brilliant opening run.
Adam Reynolds completely changed the Broncos outlook in one off-season.
He provided an experienced head the Broncos have lacked for years. He oversaw their return to relevancy and if not for one of the all time chokes would have overseen the Broncs return to Finals.
His 2022 saw a return of six tries, 19 try assists, nine line-break assists, almost 450 kicking metres per game and 15 forced drop outs.
Those numbers came despite him having a fulltime, regular halves partner or fullback.
Don't let the Broncos deplorable end-of-year form fool you, Adam Reynolds was magnificent in 2022. He lifted the Broncos from the doldrums to within a game of Final's footy.
The Broncos' signing of Reece Walsh will help Adam Reynolds in a big way in 2023 and beyond. We'll see even better from the Premiership winner moving forward given he was forced to play a lone hand far too often in '22.
Hand on heart; I was a doubter. I scratched my head when this signing was announced. The Cowboys trumped up huge money to play a reserve grader to lead their side.
Fair to say Chad Townsend had dished up a massive serving of crow with a side of crow.
Townsend was the perfect signing for Todd Peyten's Cowboys. He simply didn't fit the game plan in Cronulla. The club had moved on from their title-winning halfback.
He fits the Cowboys system like a glove. The Cowboys system fits Chad Townsend with extreme comfort. It's a match made in rugby league heaven.
Townsend is never going to run for 300 metres or score highlight reel tries. It's not his style. Nor does it need to be.
Everything the Cowboys have asked him to do, he has done with near perfection. He kicks and chases. He dictates play. He leads.
You'll never, ever see Chad Townsend in negative headlines. The Cowboys needed a leader and a general and the Chad has provided just that.
Not to say he hasn't been an attacking force either; 20 try assists, 14 line break assists, 16 forced drop outs and almost 400 kicking metres per game. He also tackled at 86.9 per cent.
In many other seasons, Chad's taking the Cowboys from 15th to at least a preliminary final would have landed him in the number one spot here.
There have been some wonderful performers on this list but for mine this isn't even close. Nicho Hynes is clearly the recruit of the year for 2022.
He has transformed one of the most ordinary, dare I say boring, attacking teams in the Sharks into one of the competition's true entertainers.
If Hynes doesn't finish in the top two in the Dally M count in a few week time then they need to sink the entire system and try again. I have him tied on points with Ben Hunt and winning his first Dally M medal.
Not only has Hynes done away with any doubts re his move both into the halves and away from Melbourne but in 2022 his form has been irresistible.
Six tries, 20 try assists, 28 line break assists, 20 forced drop outs, 383 kicking metres per game, 119 running metres per game and a 92.7% tackle efficiency. In his first full season in the halves.
Make no mistake, Hynes is the general in the Shire. Moylan has had a brilliant season but Hynes controls everything. He's almost exclusively the only kicking option at the club. He's also taken on a leadership role on and off the park despite being only 60 games into his career.
Hynes is the poster boy for a club that had struggled to replace Paul Gallen.
He took them from missing the eight last season to second spot in the matter of one season. Again, his first full season in any role, let alone a move back into the halves.
There were doubts when his signing was announced. Could he survive outside of the Storm system? Could he thrive being the focal point of an attack? Could he defend for 80 minutes in the line.
There are no longer any doubts.
There's also no doubt in the world that Hynes has been the best buy of 2022. I reiterate again, I don't even think it's close.