Inglis, Asotasi demand salary cap change
Greg Inglis and Roy Asotasi have called for changes to the salary cap after a trying summer that nearly ended Inglis's NRL career and saw centre Beau Champion forced out of South Sydney.
Disillusioned and confused at a system which had left him without a club for 200 days, Inglis strongly considered abandoning his rugby league career - but with his future settled, he now hopes NRL boss David Gallop will give the salary cap an overhaul.
Originally released by Melbourne in August to help the disgraced club start 2011 under the cap, Inglis then reneged on a handshake deal to join Brisbane before settling on South Sydney.
However when his deal at the Rabbitohs was initially blocked by the NRL, who questioned the independence of some third party deals, Inglis contemplated looking elsewhere.
Only a last-ditch meeting with Gallop on Christmas Eve saved his NRL career.
"To be honest I was very close to leaving this code," he said on Tuesday.
"I had a meeting with Gallop (on Christmas Eve) and we got the result that night because I was ready to walk that day.
"It was very close and it was very intense."
The lengthy saga convinced Inglis that something needed to be done about the current state of the salary cap.
"I think whoever is in charge of the NRL or the salary cap has got to have a hard look at it," he said.
"Don't take my case (as the) example, there's others in the past as well.
"Something has to be done, I do hope that no other player goes through this .... It is an ordeal and it does take its time."
Inglis was supported by his new captain, Roy Asotasi, who said young players are starting to understand the realities of the salary cap.
Asotasi said the Rugby League Players Association was working hard to prevent a similar scenario happening in the future, but admitted it was a slow process.
"It's quite disappointing," he said.
"Obviously we lost Beau Champion and he had a great season in 2010, and for him to leave the club I'm sure he's real disappointed, but it's a business and the boys have got to understand that and they do now.
"(The RLPA is) hoping we can get that kind of stuff sorted, but that doesn't happen overnight.
"It's a long process but we've got to try and keep chipping away at it."
Inglis believes the decision by Champion, a cousin of his and a South Sydney junior, to join the Storm was mutually beneficial to both parties.
"He wasn't forced out (by Inglis' arrival) and Souths weren't ready to let him go," Inglis said.
"I think for him career-wise it's a better opportunity for him, down there and also being coached by Craig Bellamy."
Pressed about the deal, Inglis admitted: "Obviously, in that sense, I would've had to find another code or another club to go to (if Champion hadn't left)."
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