It's been revealed Billy Slater's contract with the Melbourne Storm includes a Gasnier-style get-out clause which could see him defect from the NRL as soon as next year.
The Origin speedster is contracted to the Storm until the end of 2010, but the clause could see him follow in the footsteps of Mark Gasnier and explore more lucrative options in Europe.
Slater's manager, George Mimis (the same man who worked the get-out clause into Gasnier's contract), admits he is keeping an eye out for the classy fullback.
"Given everything, in order to do our job and to properly reap the best interests of our client, we would be naive not to explore options when the time is appropriate," Mimis told News Limited.
But Melbourne boss Brian Waldron wasn’t worried.
"There is no happier man in Melbourne than Billy Slater, as I understand," Waldron said.
"I am not worried about it. I am not worried about the constant crap with the media speculation about the downside of our game. I'm sick to death of it. We should be celebrating the great players in our game."
But with French rugby clubs and English Super League clubs trawling the NRL talent pool more keenly than ever, Slater is sure to receive plenty of attention when his get-out window opens up next season.
NRL boss David Gallop admits the 'get-out' style contract should no longer part of the game and has set about outlawing them.
"That is one of the last ones of those types of contract," NRL chief executive David Gallop told News Limited.
"In the past 12 months we have told the clubs that we don't accept that clause."
