Inglis told mates of bigger deal in Brisbane
BRAD WALTER
August 13, 2010
GREG INGLIS told Melbourne officials and teammates he would receive more money in Brisbane - not less.
With Inglis's move raising questions from rival clubs about how the Broncos could afford the Test superstar under the salary cap, Brisbane chief executive Bruno Cullen claims he is not being paid as much as he was in Melbourne.
Inglis's manager, Allan Gainey, also said in yesterday's Herald that his client had taken a ''pay cut'' to join the Broncos.
Those comments have left some at the Storm stunned as they say Inglis told them he would earn more money in Brisbane.
NRL officials continued to insist yesterday that Inglis's value under the salary cap if he had stayed in Melbourne, including deals that were found to be in breach of the cap, would still be carried in the salary caps of the two clubs. The NRL also say no concessions were given to the Broncos or Storm, whose chief executive Ron Gauci confirmed earlier this week that a nominal value for Inglis would be included in the club's second-tier salary cap.
For the Storm to be able to do so means the amount is less than $55,000 and the Herald understands it is $40,000.
Inglis's contract in Melbourne was worth $450,000 but third-party payments - both legal and illegal - initially led the NRL to value him at $660,000.
After further investigation, it is understood that some payments have since been deemed to be outside the salary cap and the total value of his Storm deal was scaled down to $610,000.
Changes to the salary-cap rules enabling each club to provide cars for three players has had a further impact, but most in the game are shocked by revelations that the Broncos have included Inglis under the salary cap at $300,000.
Cullen said that a doubling of the marquee-player allowance from $150,000 to $300,000 enabled the Broncos to increase their offer to Inglis. He is also expected to earn additional income from third-party agreements but Cullen told Sky Radio's Big Sports Breakfast program that the biggest of the 20 such deals Brisbane players have with non-club sponsors was worth $25,000.
Gainey said in yesterday's Herald: ''He may end with twice the amount of money once we've been able to look into the options for other third-party deals. That's what we're banking on.''
Third-party deals with non-club sponsors are not included in the salary cap and therefore do not account in any way for the difference between Inglis's contract and the amount the Storm have in their second-tier salary cap for next season. It is understood that Inglis would have been happy to stay in Melbourne but felt he had no choice but to leave because other players - believed to be Adam Blair, Sika Manu and Dane Nielsen - would have been forced out.
The NRL rejected an offer for him and other Storm players to take pay cuts so they could stay together.
In the end, the 23-year-old Australian and Queensland centre was sick of the saga and just wanted to be paid what he was entitled to under his contract but also did not want to see teammates have to leave.
The forced departures of Inglis and prop Brett White have taken their toll on the playing group and there are concerns within the club about how they will respond against South Sydney on Sunday.
After appearing to have put the salary-cap drama behind them following the release of the News Ltd-commissioned Deloitte report and the dropping of legal action against the penalties imposed on the club by the NRL, the Storm turned in arguably their worst performance of the season against Manly last Saturday night. It is feared that the players will struggle to get themselves back up for the remaining four matches of the season.
Club insiders hope the impending re-signing of Nielsen, winger Justin O'Neill and prop Bryan Norrie, and the recruitment of other players from outside the club may provide a boost to morale.
