The contractual time bomb had been ticking since Mark Gasnier re-signed with St George Illawarra in 2006.
At the time, saving the superstar centre from switching codes to play with Super 14's NSW Waratahs was seen as a great victory for rugby league.
But yesterday, after weeks of intense speculation, the time bomb exploded on the Dragons two months out from the NRL finals.
Gasnier had grown weary of the massive shortfall in third-party sponsor payments and decided to trigger a get-out clause in his five-year contract allowing him to sign with glamour French rugby club Stade Francais.
His two-year contract is said to be worth up to $1 million per season.
The figure on the shortfall over the term of his Dragons contract is worth about the same amount.
Gasnier defended his decision, saying he had been patient during the first 18 months of his contract to allow St George Illawarra, the NRL, and other parties to come up with a solution to recover the money owed.
Yesterday, he declared time was up.
"The hardest thing was I couldn't see a resolution over the next three years," Gasnier said.
"I didn't want to be in that same predicament one year down the track.
"Then you guys (in the media) would go 'just shut up, just play', you know 'stop being a sook'.
"I didn't want that and it had to be brought to a head now.
"I gave everyone enough time, I've given everyone ample enough time and unfortunately it hasn't been resolved, so I had to go."
Back in 2006, then Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie held talks with Gasnier about signing with the rugby union franchise.
Two years on, McKenzie, who has just taken over as coach of Paris-based Stade Francais after being sacked by the Waratahs earlier this year, finally got his man.
Gasnier revealed he was extremely close to switching codes back in 2006, before the Dragons' last ditch negotiations proved enough to stop him from signing a lucrative deal with the Australian Rugby Union.
St George Illawarra chief executive Peter Doust had made a plea for help from the NRL in the face of the massive ARU offer and finally Gasnier agreed to stick with league.
But as part of the contract, Gasnier was given the option to walk away if he was left out of pocket.
Doust yesterday denied the 11th hour deal in 2006 was a disaster waiting to happen.
"I didn't know at the time that this day would come," he said.
"I think if you put yourself back in '06 and what he had on the table from the ARU, would he have signed the contract and stayed for five years if he didn't have some level on confidence about the commitments that were made.
"Even though they weren't contracted and legally binding.
"The answer is he wouldn't have. He wouldn't be here today and we wouldn't have had the last couple of years."
Gasnier hit out at suggestions the finger of blame should squarely be pointed at Doust and the club for the contractual shortfall in payments.
The Australian and NSW representative player said he was comfortable the Dragons did all they could to prevent the situation which led to him walking away from rugby league.
"(Doust's) done everything possible and I'm not just saying that because I'm trying to stick up for him," he said.
"That's the honest truth. He's busted his guts so to speak.
"As I said to him before, I'm very thankful and as far as the NRL would go, I'm not trying to be modest or anything, but I'm not going to be missed that much.
"The talent in the game is great, you know, and the game is great."
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