However, he almost walked away from league previously, to join AFL powerhouse Essendon, with the latest developments suggesting he is again craving a new challenge. Overseas sources confirmed Inglis had been shopped to cashed-up clubs, which could afford to table salaries that would dwarf what he could earn by remaining with the premiers. It's expected negotiations with English and French clubs will intensify when Inglis leads the Rabbitohs squad for their World Club Series campaign against St Helens at Langtree Park.

Recently promoted French Top 14 club Lyon, whose head coach is Australian Tim Lane, was one of the franchises offered Inglis' services for 2016. "His manager has gone through an agent who works in France and is seeing if there is interest in him coming over to rugby," said Lyon's defensive coach, David Ellis.

"His name has been bandied about. I think ... the agent has gotten in contact with us because we've got Tim Lane as director of rugby, there's myself as defence coach and we've got Scott Wisemantel, another former Australian rugby league player, on our staff as well. Obviously when his name was mentioned I said 'yes' but when we got to talking it was far too much for us. They were talking about 800,000 [euros]."

NRL chief executive Dave Smith has given himself discretionary powers to recruit or retain marquee players over and above the salary cap. As yet, the secret fighting fund hasn't been tested but Inglis, as a Clive Churchill medallist and Golden Boot winner, would surely qualify. However, there would be a backlash from rival clubs if Souths, already the premiers, were given an even bigger advantage over the rest of the competition.

The fact that Rabbitohs young gun Alex Johnson, an aspiring fullback, is coming off contract at the end of the year only adds further intrigue to the situation.