Greg Inglis, Melbourne Storm saga drags on - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Greg Inglis, Melbourne Storm saga drags on

By Wayne Heming 27/10/2010 08:51:00 PM Comments (0)

Rugby league's No.1 game breaker Greg Inglis risks finding himself without an NRL club in 2011 should his protracted dispute with Melbourne drag on much longer.

The dispute, which centres on the cost of hiring a QC to defend him against assault charges last year, has prevented Inglis from signing a $1.2 million, two-year, contract with Brisbane.

Brisbane still don't have Inglis's prized signature on an NRL registered contract, with the ongoing dispute threatening to prevent him attending the club's first official training session at Queensland University on Monday.

The Broncos' patience is expected to be tested if their star recruit is not released by Melbourne - or the Storm's intentions are at least made clear - by the end of the week.

For his part Inglis was in Brisbane on Wednesday looking around the Broncos' Red Hill training facility and talking with the club's medical staff about rehab programs following his off-season shoulder surgery.

He told Fox Sports: "Hopefully all this can be sorted and settled and not be a worry over my head."

He said he was "very keen" for his dispute with Melbourne to be settled.

"Hopefully I can come here with nothing over my head, start training and get back to normal".

But the club has already shown it is prepared to walk away from Inglis.

Brisbane pulled their initial contract offer to the 23 year-old international some months ago after his manager Allan Gainey told them it wasn't good enough to get the superstar to the club.

Gainey then had to go back to the club cap in hand to re-open negotiations once the full extent of the Storm's salary cap rorting was revealed.

With Melbourne already spending-up to sign several players for 2011 and beyond, Inglis could find himself out in the cold should a frustrated Brisbane decide they can't, or don't want to, wait any longer.

If that scenario eventuates, Melbourne would be unlikely to retain Inglis because they'd again be in breach of the NRL's salary cap - the very reason he was forced to leave the club.

Even if NRL clubs can't find the dollars needed to pick him up so late, there's already been keen interest for his signature from big spending French rugby union clubs.

The AFL has not been backward in swooping on NRL stars recently, having signed internationals Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau to multi-million dollar deals, and Inglis is regarded as a player who could make the code switch.

Neither club would comment on Inglis's situation on Wednesday.

However the issue could come to head on Monday if Inglis is a no show at Broncos training.

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