NRL: Bombers turn sights on Inglis

Greg Inglis. Photo / Mark Mitchell

MELBOURNE - A decision on whether league superstar Greg Inglis joins AFL club Essendon could be made this week.

Essendon coach James Hird said yesterday that Inglis and the Bombers would hold talks "in the next couple of days" to discuss which code he wanted to play in 2011.

Inglis, the former Melbourne Storm ace, has run into hurdles in his bid to join South Sydney as the NRL has so far refused to approve his contract to play with the Rabbitohs.

Hird said the Bombers would be interested in Inglis, who he described as "one of the best athletes in Australian sport", but he had to firstly decide whether he wanted to switch codes.

"I haven't met with Greg yet but some time in the next couple of days we'll try and catch up for a chat and we'll see what he's interested to do," Hird said. "We'll ask him that question and if we're happy with the answer then we'll see what happens."

Although all AFL club squads have been finalised for 2011, Inglis could be squeezed on to the Bombers list and be eligible for extra promotional payments outside the salary cap.

Hird rejected the suggestion that recruiting Inglis, 23, would purely be a promotional exercise.

"Unless he can help us on the football field, we're not interested," he said. "Our list won't be seen as a novelty no matter what we do.

"Greg Inglis is an amazing athlete, there's no doubt about that but we haven't even talked to him yet.

"He's got to make a decision whether he wants to leave the NRL and then it's up in the air as to what he does," said Hird.

"He's got to make a decision on what he wants to do with his football career, what code he wants to play and then a club like Essendon can come into the picture if he's interested in playing AFL."

Hird said he had only seen Inglis play rugby league but neither he nor any of the club's recruiters could say what he could bring to the AFL.

He said Inglis had been linked with Essendon because the Bombers made contact with his management midway through last season.

If Inglis does cross codes he would join former Queensland and Australian teammates Karmichael Hunt (Gold Coast) and Israel Folau (Greater Western Sydney).

- AAP