George Burgess is likely to take up a huge three-year deal to join Wigan that will effectively end his NRL career.

South Sydney made it clear they wouldn’t have the salary cap space required to retain Burgess when his contract expires at the end of the year, leaving his future in limbo. The English prop’s value in the Australian market halved after he was suspended for nine matches for eye gouging Robbie Farah.

It remains to be seen whether he will be able to work his way back into Wayne Bennett’s side when he becomes available for the finals.

The 27-year-old came agonisingly close to shifting to Parramatta on a $2 million, three-year deal, but couldn’t get the release required to make the move happen. The Eels’ interest has since cooled, with their focus shifting to Maroons and Storm prop Christian Welch.