KingOvKingz09
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Greg Inglis appears certain to be a South Sydney Rabbitoh within days after NRL rivals Parramatta were told not to waste their time trying to pursue the renegade star.
Just days after offering Brisbane boss Bruno Cullen a verbal and handshake assurance that he would finally sign off on a $1 million-plus package that has been in place for months, Inglis now looks set to head to Redfern in 2011.
The Broncos gave Inglis until Saturday to put pen to paper, but pulled the offer when he said he would not be returning from Sydney to sign the deal, with Brisbane learning he had headed south to discuss his playing future with "other parties".
It appears however that those other parties are just Russell Crowe's Rabbitohs, after cashed-up Parramatta were warned off making an approach to the Queensland and Australian centre.
"I spoke to his team yesterday and got the impression a deal was already done with him going to Souths," Eels chief executive Paul Osborne told AAP.
"We were virtually told not to waste our time."
Cullen admitted to a feeling of betrayal after Inglis said on Friday - as he'd done three days earlier - that he was still keen to sign with the Broncos.
He claimed he wanted to fly to Sydney to talk to his parents after a week with the Broncos rehabilitating his injured shoulder and meeting players and office staff.
"Greg indicated to us on Tuesday and again on Friday, face to face, that he was very keen to stay in Brisbane and very keen to play for the Brisbane Broncos and that he was going to Sydney to discuss it with his family and he'd be back on Saturday," said Cullen.
"He told me eyeball-to-eyeball on Tuesday and again on Friday, including handshakes.
"We said (to Greg) when you come back on Saturday, we'll get that contract signed away and it will all be done and dusted."
But Cullen said things quickly went sour as he learned of talks between Inglis and several other clubs and codes.
"I don't need to mention who those people were (that Inglis met with), they were from different codes and different clubs," Cullen said.
"We contacted Greg and asked him to make sure he was back on Saturday to sign the contract.
"He advised us about 12.30 or 1.30 Saturday afternoon he wouldn't be signing his contract.
"By then we'd already made the decision that if that was his response, we'd fall back on it, and we have."
Cullen could not hide the disappointment of missing out on a player he described as "the best in the world".
"Very disappointed obviously.
"Greg is a world class player, if not the best in the world at the moment when he's fit.
"It's disappointing to lose a player of that quality but it's more disappointing to know we have in writing a signed off agreement that we struck five or six months ago with Greg and his manager (Allan Gainey) for Greg to play here.
"The club is bigger than any one player.
"It's disappointing to lose a player of that quality but at the end of the day he didn't want to be here."
Inglis was only granted a release by Melbourne to sign with Brisbane on compassionate grounds to be with fiance Sally Robinson, and officially remains contracted to Melbourne for 2011-2012.
Cullen had a shot at NRL clubs who had chipped away at Inglis in recent months.
"I don't want to be nasty to the other clubs, it's all fair in love and war," he said.
"(But) … they obviously knew we had an agreement with him in writing for him to join us but they also knew he hadn't signed anything and he hadn't been released from Melbourne."
Just days after offering Brisbane boss Bruno Cullen a verbal and handshake assurance that he would finally sign off on a $1 million-plus package that has been in place for months, Inglis now looks set to head to Redfern in 2011.
The Broncos gave Inglis until Saturday to put pen to paper, but pulled the offer when he said he would not be returning from Sydney to sign the deal, with Brisbane learning he had headed south to discuss his playing future with "other parties".
It appears however that those other parties are just Russell Crowe's Rabbitohs, after cashed-up Parramatta were warned off making an approach to the Queensland and Australian centre.
"I spoke to his team yesterday and got the impression a deal was already done with him going to Souths," Eels chief executive Paul Osborne told AAP.
"We were virtually told not to waste our time."
Cullen admitted to a feeling of betrayal after Inglis said on Friday - as he'd done three days earlier - that he was still keen to sign with the Broncos.
He claimed he wanted to fly to Sydney to talk to his parents after a week with the Broncos rehabilitating his injured shoulder and meeting players and office staff.
"Greg indicated to us on Tuesday and again on Friday, face to face, that he was very keen to stay in Brisbane and very keen to play for the Brisbane Broncos and that he was going to Sydney to discuss it with his family and he'd be back on Saturday," said Cullen.
"He told me eyeball-to-eyeball on Tuesday and again on Friday, including handshakes.
"We said (to Greg) when you come back on Saturday, we'll get that contract signed away and it will all be done and dusted."
But Cullen said things quickly went sour as he learned of talks between Inglis and several other clubs and codes.
"I don't need to mention who those people were (that Inglis met with), they were from different codes and different clubs," Cullen said.
"We contacted Greg and asked him to make sure he was back on Saturday to sign the contract.
"He advised us about 12.30 or 1.30 Saturday afternoon he wouldn't be signing his contract.
"By then we'd already made the decision that if that was his response, we'd fall back on it, and we have."
Cullen could not hide the disappointment of missing out on a player he described as "the best in the world".
"Very disappointed obviously.
"Greg is a world class player, if not the best in the world at the moment when he's fit.
"It's disappointing to lose a player of that quality but it's more disappointing to know we have in writing a signed off agreement that we struck five or six months ago with Greg and his manager (Allan Gainey) for Greg to play here.
"The club is bigger than any one player.
"It's disappointing to lose a player of that quality but at the end of the day he didn't want to be here."
Inglis was only granted a release by Melbourne to sign with Brisbane on compassionate grounds to be with fiance Sally Robinson, and officially remains contracted to Melbourne for 2011-2012.
Cullen had a shot at NRL clubs who had chipped away at Inglis in recent months.
"I don't want to be nasty to the other clubs, it's all fair in love and war," he said.
"(But) … they obviously knew we had an agreement with him in writing for him to join us but they also knew he hadn't signed anything and he hadn't been released from Melbourne."
