Who's Playing Who?

Greg Inglis is officially heading to Redfern in 2011 and beyond, after the NRL agreed to register his contract with the foundation club.

The signing is not without a casualty however, as Souths juniour Beau Champion was released by the Rabbitohs to the Melbourne Storm on a three-year deal.

The announcement came as Inglis was set to discuss a possible swap to AFL to join with the Essendon Bombers. By all reports, it could have been a serious possibility, with Inglis not intent in waiting for an outcome past this week.

Adrian Considers: Well, what a Christmas present! I’m glad for all parties involved that this matter has been resolved, and that a player the calibre of G.I. is going to be lighting it up next year in the cardinal and myrtle.

Of course, it is a shame to see Champion leave the club. As I said earlier this week: “Champion fits perfectly into the Rabbitohs backline, and there is no way I would want to see him playing elsewhere. His combination with Inglis in the centres would be lethal.” OK, so we’re not going to be seeing that, but Junior Vaivai and Dylan Farrell are waiting in the wings to take over as full time first grade players.

I’ve come around a bit. I think the move to Melbourne will be great for Champion. He’s now got the security of a three-year deal and at a higher rate. Secondly, he’ll be surrounded by a great bunch of players, most notably Cronk, Smith and Slater, as well as the rest of the salary cap compliant squad that they’ve assembled. 2011 could very well be a breakout year for Champion, and with a new set up at NSW Origin level… Who knows, will we see a new centres pairing of Chris Lawrence and Beau Champion to see us through the next few years? I can’t be certain, it’s far too early to predict anything like that. But I think that the result today is great for all those involved. A win for Inglis. A win for Souths. A win for Melbourne. A win for rugby league.