GREG Inglis believes he will officially become a Rabbitoh in the next fortnight as it emerged the Maroons star took only a $20,000 pay cut on the first year of his failed Broncos deal to join South Sydney.(1) The revelation came as Inglis's manager Alan Gainey claimed the third-party components of the Souths deal were bona fide arrangements, saying it would be the "greatest disgrace ever" if the NRL refused to register the contract.
NRL salary-cap auditor Ian Schubert will probe Inglis's three-year, $1.8 million contract this week, but Souths chairman Nick Pappas last night maintained the deal was above board.
Queries have been raised as to whether Souths have attempted to under-value the Inglis deal under the cap, notably his base salary for 2011, estimated to be just $190,000.
But The Sunday Mail has learnt the first year of Inglis's three-year arrangement with Souths is worth $500,000 including third-party deals, just shy of the $520,000 package the Test centre was to earn at the Broncos in 2011.(2)
Speculation suggested Souths would consider legal action against the NRL if it blocked the Inglis deal, but Pappas insisted the former Storm flyer will be at Redfern next season.
"The deal stacks up very favourably and is a good deal for everyone concerned," he said.
"I'm confident the NRL won't block the deal and that they will exercise their discretion reasonably and in the best interests of the game.
"We're very confident this will have a good resolution for the Rabbitohs and Greg. (Souths chief executive) Shane Richardson has had a chat to the NRL and the word from them was that there would be no pre-judgment about the matter.
"I don't understand how the NRL can have a position before it receives anything."
Inglis was tightlipped when contacted by The Sunday Mail but is confident he will be at the Rabbitohs next season.
"I can't say too much but everything will come out in the next two weeks," said Inglis, who will marry partner Sally Robinson next Sunday.
The Rabbitohs lodged Inglis's formal contract with the NRL on Thursday. It contains five third-party deals, including one in which Inglis will work as an Aboriginal ambassador, and it is understood the 23-year-old's base salary average over three years will be about $300,000 a year. Gainey said the deal reflected Inglis's market value and said he would be stunned if the NRL tried to void the contract.
Four French rugby clubs, including Toulon and Biarritz, have expressed interest in Inglis, who could earn more than $1 million offshore. "This kid could walk away from the whole game (if the NRL blocked the deal), it would be the greatest disgrace ever," Gainey said.(3)
"Greg is absolutely sick of it. Like everyone, he is fed up with the whole thing. The NRL has now received all the third parties and marquee player agreements. I put them to Souths for approval, they have approved them all and now it's been sent to the NRL."
