NRL meets with Inglis, rules out cap concessions

Dominic Brock | rugbyleaguelive.com | 27/08/08 | 0

NRL boss David Gallop has held secrets talks with Storm star Greg Inglis in a bid to prevent him leaving the competition, but has denied the league will make salary cap concessions to Melbourne to help them keep their star.

The Storm, who have called for the league’s help to keep Inglis in Australia rather than follow the likes of Mark Gasnier and Sonny Bill Williams overseas, initiated the meeting.

The NRL put forward several potential marketing avenues for Inglis, and said it wanted to build Inglis’s profile to help him earn more from the game off the field.

But Gallop stood firm on the league’s salary cap rules.

“I made it clear we can’t make exceptions [under the salary cap] despite his status in the game,” Gallop told Fairfax

“I used the example of someone like Terry Campese. He’s not in the top five players in the game but he’s just as important to the Raiders as Greg is to the Storm.”

Storm chief executive Brian Waldron said Inglis wanted to maximise his earning capacity, but did not want to follow Gasnier and Williams and walk out on rugby league.

And he didn’t miss the chance to take a pot shot at the high-profile pair.

“The NRL wasn’t happy about Gasnier and Williams going, but that’s the good thing about GI: there’s some decency about him,” Waldron told the Sydney Morning Herald.

The NRL wasn’t happy about Gasnier and Williams going, but that’s the good thing about GI: there’s some decency about him... Storm chief executive Brian Waldron