Souths will miss out on another big name NRL signing after Penrith prop Ben Ross said he was "95 per cent sure" he wouldn't join the Rabbitohs.
"I'm pretty much 95 per cent sure I'm not going to Souths," Ross said after his side's 18-16 loss to the Bulldogs at Penrith Stadium last night.
"We had to see what their playing staff was, whether they got (Bulldogs pivot) Anasta or if they got Ashley Harrison.
"They've unfortunately lost both of them and unfortunately it's a bit harder to go there, to a club like that without any established big name players.
"They've got (Penrith teammate) Joe Galavao at the moment, a few others there, but at this time in my life I'd rather go to Cronulla or Melbourne." Ross, who suffered a neck injury in last night's game, said he was close to deciding on a club for 2006.
"I just got a call from (manager) George (Mimis), but it hasn't really come through what we wanted, we are still discussing," he said.
"I've got to see when I speak to George Mimis properly tomorrow." With Ross out of the reckoning, the only marquee NRL player still left unsigned is Melbourne playmaker Matt Orford, who has stated he would only consider a move to Souths if the Redfern-based club relocated to his home town of the Central Coast.
But in a further blow to the Bunnies' chances of snaring the Storm No.7, Souths CEO Shane Richardson has publicly ruled out the move, and it is believed Orford is close to signing with Manly.
While Souths yesterday announced the signings of Cronulla's Nathan Merritt and Penrith's Ben Rogers, Galavao still remains their only big name player to come aboard after Anasta and Harrison turned down lucrative offers to join the cashed-up club.
"I'm pretty much 95 per cent sure I'm not going to Souths," Ross said after his side's 18-16 loss to the Bulldogs at Penrith Stadium last night.
"We had to see what their playing staff was, whether they got (Bulldogs pivot) Anasta or if they got Ashley Harrison.
"They've unfortunately lost both of them and unfortunately it's a bit harder to go there, to a club like that without any established big name players.
"They've got (Penrith teammate) Joe Galavao at the moment, a few others there, but at this time in my life I'd rather go to Cronulla or Melbourne." Ross, who suffered a neck injury in last night's game, said he was close to deciding on a club for 2006.
"I just got a call from (manager) George (Mimis), but it hasn't really come through what we wanted, we are still discussing," he said.
"I've got to see when I speak to George Mimis properly tomorrow." With Ross out of the reckoning, the only marquee NRL player still left unsigned is Melbourne playmaker Matt Orford, who has stated he would only consider a move to Souths if the Redfern-based club relocated to his home town of the Central Coast.
But in a further blow to the Bunnies' chances of snaring the Storm No.7, Souths CEO Shane Richardson has publicly ruled out the move, and it is believed Orford is close to signing with Manly.
While Souths yesterday announced the signings of Cronulla's Nathan Merritt and Penrith's Ben Rogers, Galavao still remains their only big name player to come aboard after Anasta and Harrison turned down lucrative offers to join the cashed-up club.
