The saga demonstrates how little Rugby Australia can do to compete with the cash rich professional leagues in Japan, France, the UK and Ireland to retain the services of all but its top two or three players, such as Michael Hooper (on $1.2 million per year for five years), David Pocock (topped up by a private donor) and the now-sacked star Israel Folau (on $1 million per year and formerly also topped up by a private donor). Loading "We are having a look at all the contracting structures. We’d like to retain as many of our youngsters as we can," RA's new director of rugby, Scott Johnson, said in Melbourne on Thursday. "The void I find in our domestic leagues is retaining the player that sits 24-27 years old - I’d like to retain a few more of them. "That maturity is good for the squads and teams. The younger ones I’m not as concerned with as I think we have got that mastered a little bit. If we sell our programs correctly we will retain more than we lose.

"We are not the only country facing this challenge. New Zealand do. South Africa do. Argentina do. "We have to be a bit more creative on how we do this and sell out programs better." Kerevi's case is a complex mix of timing, market forces and personal circumstances. Born in Fiji but raised by his grandparents in Brisbane, the 25-Test product of Sunnybank juniors, Souths and Brisbane State High School has long been one of Australia's most promising young players. Samu Kerevi is set to play a starring role in Australia's World Cup campaign later this year. Credit:AAP His elevation to the captaincy in Queensland mirrored his growing leadership within the Wallabies under Michael Cheika. He is respected across the playing group and revered by younger Pacific Islander players.

But it was only this season, blossoming under the additional responsibility of the Reds captaincy duties, that Kerevi found the form that might have justified the million-dollar price tag. 'Wrecking ball': Samu Kerevi in action for the Reds in what will be his last season at Ballymore. Credit:AAP He is topping the entire competition on carries and defenders beaten, running second on offloads and fifth on clean breaks. All Blacks midfield great Ma'a Nonu described him as a "wrecking ball" after he helped the Reds pull off their first win in three years over a New Zealand side last week. It was Kerevi's final home game for Queensland, a fact he is expected to confirm on Friday, but one that played out in his emotional response to the full time whistle at Suncorp Stadium. If his form alone was not enough to make him a firm favourite for the Wallabies No.12 jersey at the Rugby World Cup, Folau's departure last month certainly brought it home. Incumbent inside centre Kurtley Beale now looks like one of the strongest candidates to take over at fullback, potentially leaving Kerevi and his damaging ball-running capabilities perfectly suited to Cheika's needs. But in November and December last year, the landscape and Kerevi's form were different. RA refused to budge from the $800,000-mark. For a player who had rejected overseas offers in excess of $1 million on his two previous contract negotiations and stayed in Australia on a one-year deal worth $600,000 this season, the writing was on the wall.