Greg Inglis set to leave Melbourne Storm and sign with Brisbane Broncos
July 17, 2010
Melbourne Storm superstar Greg Inglis is tipped to sign a multi-year deal with the Brisbane Broncos on Monday.
Forty-eight hours after a News Limited commissioned report revealed Melbourne had exceeded the salary cap by more than $3 million dollars over the past four seasons, Inglis is set to break up the Storm's "fab four'' and accept a two-year deal with Brisbane.
In a stunning turnaround after Inglis's manager Allan Gainey knocked back Brisbane's one and only offer of around $400,000-a-season on Monday, he is understood to have contacted the club's football operations manager Andrew Gee on Thursday to re-open negotiations.
It's believed Brisbane stood firm on their initial offer when Gainey called back late in the week.
Brisbane officials refused to comment on southern reports the deal had been done with Inglis.
However it's believed Inglis will ink a two-year deal with the six-time premiers on Monday unless something unexpected happens over the weekend.
Inglis's signing is a massive coup for Brisbane who will lose giant young centre Israel Folau to the AFL at the end of the season.
However it didn't look like eventuating earlier in the week after Gainey rejected Brisbane's offer.
"The offer we put to them (Inglis) is what we could afford and what fits in the cap," Gee said on Thursday just before the Deloitte released the startling results of his forensic investigation into Melbourne salary cap rorting that has seen them stripped of their 2007 and 2009 premierships all all premiership points this year.
"They (Inglis) would have have to come back to us and say what we offered might be on the mark, but by the sounds of it, it's nowhere near it."
Melbourne, who had hopes to retain Inglis, Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk, will be rocked by the news.
It's understood Melbourne agreed to a request from Inglis to leave on compassionate grounds with his fiancee working in Brisbane
Also the chance to play alongside Darren Lockyer, in his last few seasons, and with Queensland team-mate Sam Thaiday, would have really appealed to Inglis.
Melbourne are set to release a number of quality players from their roster in the hope of hanging onto Inglis, Slater, Smith and Cronk but that could all fall apart if as expected, Inglis is the first of the four to walk out the door.
Forward Aiden Tolman will join the Bulldogs while Ryan Hoffman and and Brett Finch have been linked to the Super League.
Melbourne were in Auckland on Saturday preparing to play the Warriors and could not be contacted for an official comment.
Brisbane, who continued their push towards a 19th straight finals with a tough win over the Gold Coast on Friday night, have had their eye in Inglis since Folau's announcement he was heading across to the AFL.
Coach Ivan Henjak believed his addition, combined with a host of outstanding youngsters they have developed in the past two years, would make them a real premiership force.
AAP
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