Blair would be fantastic but it would seem the storm are very keen to keep him.
With regards to this:
FORMER New South Wales origin stars Ryan Hoffman and Anthony Quinn have been linked with Super League club Wigan as the Storm prepares to shed up to 10 players in a plan to get below the salary cap next season and retain the big four of Cameron Smith, Greg Inglis, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk.
With the audit by News Ltd-appointed accountants Deloitte having dragged on for more than two months, Melbourne officials have contacted player agents to determine whether the amount their clients expect to be paid next season tallies with the contracts registered with the NRL, and believe the club will exceed the salary cap by $1.3 million if no action is taken.
Deloitte is expected to provide News Ltd with the findings of its investigation in coming days, with the report believed to include an estimated $1.5 million blowout in 2011, although doubts have been raised about the firm's understanding of the salary cap. At one stage, representative bonuses for players unlikely to earn them were reportedly added to the total breach.
Despite the discrepancy, the plan devised by non-News Ltd-aligned Storm board members Peter Maher and Gerry Ryan would enable Smith, Inglis, Slater and Cronk to stay at the club.
But another eight to 10 players may be forced to leave, and reports in England have already linked Hoffman and Quinn with a move to Wigan, which is coached by former Storm assistant Michael Maguire.
It is understood Maher and Ryan have discussed several variations of their proposal with club staff and are confident that Smith, Inglis, Slater and Cronk can be retained to form the nucleus of a new-look team in 2011.
With the NRL lifting the salary cap by $100,000 to $4.2 million next season and Smith willing to forgo his $100,000-a-year deal with Fox Sports, the figure Storm needs to cut from its wages bill has already been reduced and the plan does not factor in a $150,000 rise in the marquee player allowance.
The Storm has already lost props Aiden Tolman and Ryan Tandy to Canterbury, and five-eighth Brett Finch is also expected to leave, but the club will have to release some players before the start of next season to get within the salary cap.
A number of clubs are believed to be in a similar position and are trying to manage their rosters to accommodate recruits or players with upgraded contracts, but Melbourne's position is more severe because of the salary cap rorting that resulted in it being stripped of the 2007 and 2009 premierships and all competition points this year.
New Zealand Test prop Jeff Lima had already been granted a release before the salary cap scandal, and it is believed Hoffman, Quinn and Kiwi forwards Adam Blair and Sika Manu would also be allowed to leave if they found another club in a bid to ease the Storm's salary cap burden.
The Storm would replace them with players of lesser quality and therefore a lower value, to play alongside rookies Matt Duffie, Justin O'Neill, Gareth Widdop and Jesse Bromwich.
With players of that calibre coming through the ranks, Storm officials believe they can still field a competitive team next season if Smith, Inglis, Slater and Cronk remain to guide them.
The star quartet wants to stay in Melbourne but has had approaches from rival clubs or codes.
Found it on The Sydney Morning Herald website...
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...nn-in-bid-to-keep-big-four-20100630-zmtg.html
