BRISBANE have re-emerged as the leading contenders to land Greg Inglis after raising their offer for the Melbourne and Test centre to a figure believed to be more than $570,000 a season.
It is understood the Storm are prepared to release Inglis, and subsequently subsidise the 23-year-old's contract by less than $55,000 a year, but are hoping to possibly have that listed under the NRL second-tier cap next year, not the $4.2 million top-line payment ceiling.
An announcement on Inglis's future had been expected yesterday, and it was anticipated the Storm would reveal they were keeping him. However, the Herald was told the Broncos had finally decided to budge on an offer of $400,000 and a car.
It is believed the rise in their offer of $170,000 a season includes a $40,000 third-party payment by the Nine Network, a Broncos club sponsor. NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert, who was in continuing discussions with the Broncos and the Storm yesterday, has insisted this figure be included under Brisbane's cap under the marquee-player allowance, which is to be lifted from $150,000 to $300,000 for each club next year.
Inglis and his manager Allan Gainey have made clear since the saga over his future began that the player's preference is to move to Brisbane, where his fiancee Sally Robinson lives and works.
As a result of the Broncos' raised offer, and the reduced strain it might put on Melbourne to make up the difference of his $620,000 Storm contract in their budget next year, his signing with Brisbane now seems highly likely.
That is even though Inglis's other suitors, Gold Coast, themselves raised their offer for the representative star at the weekend to a point where the Storm would not have to pay a cent to subsidise the deal.
It is for this reason that Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy is understood to want Inglis to join the Titans if he has to be released, because a move to the tourist strip would have no impact on the Storm's salary cap status beyond this year.
NRL official John Brady would not speculate on whether the Storm would be permitted to use their second-tier cap to swallow up any subsidising of an Inglis deal.
''The salary cap auditor has been in discussions in relation to Melbourne, and the cap rules will be applied whatever the outcome,'' he said.
