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.
1. Nicho Hynes
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.
