However, the NRL will not allow the return of one of the game's biggest superstars to end like the botched attempt by Parramatta to bring Israel Folau back from AFL, which resulted in the frustrated former Test star signing with the Waratahs and possibly being lost to rugby league forever. While NRL head of football Todd Greenberg insisted on Friday that Souths had been given no assistance to sign Burgess, a transfer fee reported to have cost the club up to £500,000 ($1.13 million) will not be included in the salary cap and Fairfax Media understands that his value on the cap will be the same as it was before he left, which is thought to be about $500,000 per season plus third-party deals. Reports that Burgess would become the highest paid player in the NRL, with his three year contract worth $1.5 million per season, are also said to be wide of the mark, but there is no doubt he is now one of the game's most high-profile stars, with the renewal rate for Souths memberships on Friday more than triple the daily average of 230 sales. In addition, a story on the club's FaceBook page reached more than a million people, and attracted 133,000 page impressions after Crowe re-tweeted the announcement. Souths chief executive John Lee said the idea of Burgess coming back next season began after Burgess and coach Michael Maguire exchanged text messages during this season's grand final.

"Sam engaged with Michael and then more conversations happened with other people, our investors ... there was a fair bit of chatter going on and then we were able to talk to his manager and secure the deal," Lee said at Redfern Oval on Friday. Lee and Maguire both insisted no decisions had been made about releasing other players to fit Burgess into the salary cap but Gold Coast coach Neil Henry has confirmed his interest in McQueen and Walker, and the Titans are also in the market for a prop. "It is fair to say when you are talking about one of the top five players in the game you expect to pay a fair value and a fair price and that is what we have done but when you look at the cap we did release both Issac Luke and Glenn Stewart at the back end of this season," Lee said. Greenberg, who said the Rabbitohs had not asked the NRL to contribute financially, welcomed the return of Burgess and Channel Nine are expected to start next season with Souths playing either Brisbane or North Queensland. "The Rabbitohs are like every one of the other clubs, they have to comply with the salary cap and we will ensure it is enforced like we do with all clubs but it is a great acquisition for Sam to be able to come back to the NRL," Greenberg said.