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BRISBANE-bound: Greg Inglis in action for the Storm. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

Inglis joins Broncos

Brisbane officials tipped a rush of interest from sponsors after the 23-year-old's decision to sign with the club.

August 10 - yesterday - will go down as one of the great days in Broncos history, with the club attracting a new multimillion-dollar sponsorship deal followed by the Inglis news.

Inaugural Broncos skipper Wally Lewis last night rated Inglis as one of the top two or three players and predicted his best was yet to come.

"That will happen when he pulls on a Broncos jersey," Lewis said.

Broncos chief executive Bruno Cullen was adamant the club had not increased its initial $400,000-a-season offer to Inglis, but conceded he stood to make a lot more money as arguably the club's No.1 marquee player.

It is thought with third-party arrangements and increases in marquee player allowances, he will earn more than $600,000 a season.

"Under new (salary cap) rules, you can have up to 15 (marquee) players and we have a few contenders," Cullen said.

"But obviously Greg will take a fair share of the cake. Once he settles into Brisbane and starts to do what he does, people are going to make phone calls and say: 'Will you do this and will you do that' and that's all money."

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Cullen laughed at suggestions Inglis's signing would raise suspicions about the Broncos' ability to stay under the salary cap.

"A week ago people were saying to me, 'Why don't you increase the offer? You must have plenty of money because Israel Folau is going to AFL'," he said.

"We would be over the cap if some of the figures being thrown around were right.

"What people don't understand is the vast majority of our players are on what you call pretty average sort of contracts.

"What we have left over from Israel leaving us, plus the $350,000 increase in the salary cap ... that's the majority of the money we are paying Greg."

Cullen reiterated that Inglis had made first contact with the Broncos and the fact his fiancee Sally Robinson lives in Brisbane was a big factor.

"That was an attraction and I dare say may have saved us a bit of money," he said.

Tuesday began with the Broncos announcing NRMA Insurance as the new naming rights sponsor for the next three years, in a deal believed to be worth at least $4.5 million.