Rugby league is littered with tales of players who never reached their potential, most of which never even play in the NRL.

But some prodigious talents shine too bright to ignore – or a player lights up the competition for a season – and clubs cannot resist throwing stacks of cash at them.

It’s hard to feel sorry for anyone getting paid an obscene amount of money to live out their childhood dream, but there are a few genuine sob stories on this list.

Too much pressure too young is a recurring theme, while other players struggle to balance fame and their home life.

Some clubs are repeat offenders for paying overs and failing to develop talent, while the best sides barely feature.

The Broncos are the guiltiest of getting it wrong in recent years, while the Dragons have been the best at getting other clubs to pay their players.

Here’s the top NRL contract falls from grace in recent years.

MAJOR HAIRCUT

Ash Taylor (Titans: $1M to Warriors train and trial)

The Queensland country kid was on a hiding to nothing the minute Gold Coast signed him on a three-year three-million dollar deal aged just 22.

Taylor was compared to some of the greats of the game and tipped to dominate, but he rarely had the on-field support around him to develop into a star.

Kieran Foran (Bulldogs: $1.2M to Sea Eagles: $400k)

Foran won a premiership at Manly when he was just 21 which eventually led to signing a massive deal with Parramatta at age 25.

The pressure proved immense and Foran has since spoken about his mental health issues brought on by the weight of expectation.

Anthony Milford (Broncos: $1M to Rabbitohs: $350k)

Milford took the Broncos to the grand final in 2015 and was lauded as finally filling the void left by Darren Lockyer.

But his form nosedived and by the time his enormous contract ended this season, both the player and club were ready for a fresh start.

Shaun Johnson (Sharks: $900k to Warriors: $450k)

The teenager who lit up YouTube with his dazzling feet at touch football tournaments rose to the very top of the NRL.

Johnson started in a grand final in his rookie season in 2011, but by the time he signed with the Sharks on big money eight years later – his best was behind him.

Matt Moylan (Sharks: $850k to Sharks: $350k)

It’s easy to forget Moylan has played for Australia, albeit once. But injuries have plagued the five-eighth’s career in recent years.

The 31-year-old was desperate to stay in the Shire and play under Craig Fitzgibbon next season – and he took an enormous pay cut to do it.

NOWHERE TO GO

Joey Leilua (Wests Tigers: $850k to no offers)

Leilua has clashed with every coach he’s played under and after four clubs, Concord looks to have been his final stop in the NRL.

It’s a true fall from grace when a two-time Dally M centre of the Year – as recently as 2018 – cannot get a gig anywhere.

Corey Norman (Dragons: $850k to no offers)

Norman would be right up there with the most criticised halves of the past decade and at 30 and past his best, clubs simply don’t want his baggage – even on the cheap.

The much-maligned five-eighth played for the Maroons in 2019 but now will either head overseas or start looking at life after football.

Dylan Napa (Bulldogs: $650k to no offers)

Napa was once considered the next Gordon Tallis and has starred for the Maroons, but the new rules have hampered his ability to impact games.

The prop also comes with his fair share of off-field problems and clubs are no longer interested in taking a punt on him.

TOUGH BREAKS

Mitchell Pearce (Knights: $900k to Knights: $600k)

Pearce was on the cusp of signing a multimillion-dollar extension before a texting scandal with a club staffer saw that contract, and his wedding, cancelled.

The fallout from the saga cost Pearce his captaincy and impacted his form – now a fresh start in the Super League could be on the cards.

Bryce Cartwright (Titans: $500k to Eels: $130k)

The pandemic hit and Cartwright suddenly became the face of the NRL anti-vaxxer movement thanks to inflammatory social media posts from his then partner.

Cartwright was released by the Gold Coast after the season and thrown a career lifeline at the Eels which he grabbed with both hands.

Aaron Woods (Sharks: $600k to Dragons: $350k [estimated])

The former Australian representative prop’s body has struggled in recent years and his representative days feel like a lifetime ago.

But Dragons coach Anthony Griffin will be hoping he can extract one last season out of Woods’ hulking frame.

PAID TO LEAVE

Matt Lodge ($800k to Warriors with Broncos paying him $1.3M to leave)

Lodge became the highest-paid player in the NRL in 2021 thanks to an extraordinary payout from the Broncos.

The prop was contracted until the of 2024 before Brisbane agreed to one of the biggest severance packages in NRL history. He then joined the Warriors.

Jack Bird ($975k to Dragons with Broncos paying plenty of it)

Bird would be up there with the highest-paid Broncos players per game in club history, before getting released with a year remaining on his deal.

Consecutive ACL ruptures and a sternum injury limited him to just 17 games in three seasons before joining the Dragons in 2021.

Moses Mbye ($850k to Dragons with Tigers paying plenty of it)

The former Wests Tigers skipper admitted he “felt like a burden” at the club. He was released from the final year of his deal.

The utility played for Queensland in 2019 and was strong in patches at the Tigers but never played to the size of his contract.

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak ($800k to Warriors with Bulldogs paying plenty of it)

DWZ proved more bark than bite at the Bulldogs and joined the Warriors halfway through the 2021 season.

The former Kiwi Test captain didn’t light the world on fire but the Warriors will still be satisfied given they only had to pay half his salary this year.

Josh Reynolds ($750k to released to Super League a year early)

Reynolds signed a huge deal at Tigers but played just 22 games in three years as his private life derailed on the back of lies made by a former partner.

The media attention all became too much and Reynolds was more than happy to sign with Hull and bask in the anonymity which northern England provides.

David Fusitu’a ($600k to released to Super League two years early)

The club hosed down deports Fusitu’a was struggling with his mental health in 2021, emphasising he was just battling a hamstring injury.

Then when the Warriors covered his absence pretty comfortably they told him he could look elsewhere and the winger landed at Leeds.

Brodie Croft (Broncos: $450k to released to Super League)

If Melbourne offloads a halfback, it’s for a reason. But Brisbane still pounced on the young Queenslander and it didn’t work out.

Croft was constantly in and out of both Anthony Seibold and Kevin Walters’ sides before inevitably leaving to join Salford.

THERE’S STILL TIME

Ben Hunt $1.2M (two seasons left)

The Broncos made Hunt a superstar and he earned a mammoth $6M deal at the Dragons but he’s failed to deliver anywhere near that price tag.

Luke Brooks Tigers: $900k (two seasons left)

The halfback has infamously led the Wests Tigers to zero finals appearances since joining the club in 2013.

Andrew Fifita Sharks: $800k (one season left)

Once the most feared forward in the NRL but now he’s doing well to get on the field, let alone play more than 15 minutes.

Kyle Flanagan Bulldogs: $350k (two seasons left)

Similar to the Storm, when the Roosters release a halfback it’s usually for good reason – Flanagan has hardly fired a shot since joining the Dogs.

FORCED INTO RETIREMENT

Josh Dugan (Sharks: $900k to retired at 31)

Russell Packer (Tigers: $750k to retired at 32)

Shannon Boyd (Raiders: $600k to retired at 28)