Eels may try to slip in on Inglis but Rabbitohs remain frontrunners
Stathi Paxinos
November 10, 2010
THE Greg Inglis saga could have a late twist with Melbourne Storm expecting a formal request from Parramatta to approach the superstar despite Eels chief executive Paul Osborne publicly claiming he believed it would be a waste of time chasing him.
Inglis is expected to sign a deal with South Sydney but it is believed that the Eels, with former Storm assistant Steve Kearney at the helm, are also keen.
Inglis was officially put on the market by Melbourne on Monday on the proviso his outstanding $113,000 legal fee, over which he is in dispute with the club, is paid.
The Storm put out a statement on Monday declaring that any clubs interested in signing Inglis must formally request an approach to the player, who is still on Melbourne's books after the deal with Brisbane fell over last weekend.
Storm chief executive Ron Gauci said he had only received a formal request from South Sydney but had spoken to Osborne.
When asked if he expected to receive a request from the Eels, Gauci said: ''That's the impression I get, yes.'.
He also said ''there are rumours that others are going to make an approach, so we'll see what happens over the next few days''.
However, Osborne yesterday maintained the club had gone cold on Inglis after being told that his move to the Rabbitohs was a done deal.
''He [Gauci] called me
to say that South Sydney hadn't been given approval [at that stage] to negotiate with Inglis and that no club had been and I said 'thanks mate' and that was it,'' Osborne said.
''I was told by his [Inglis'] manager [Allan Gainey] that the deal was done with Souths
I'm not going to waste my time.''