The Daily Telegraph is reporting that NRL’s Head of Strategy and former South Sydney CEO Shane Richardson has touched down in the United Kingdom to begin face-to-face negotiations with rugby convert Sam Burgess.

A return to the NRL would net Burgess a huge $1.5million a season if the story is correct making him the highest paid player in the competition.

Burgess switched codes prior to the Rugby World Cup but things did not go to script with the former Rabbitoh struggling with the new code and copped much of the media fallout for England’s early exit from their own World Cup. Burgess’ deal would be topped up by registered, but uncapped, third-party agreements on top of his basic contract.

But an accredited player agent who has asked to remain anonymous has told the81stminute.com that the NRL shouldn’t use the much talked about the marquee player fund.

“It’s a bit of a joke if Richo [Richardson] thinks Souths deserve help getting Sam back after asking to be released in the first place.” He said.

“No matter what he’s coming back so do we have to fly over there and give him overs?”

“I don’t think he’s worth $1.5million and he’s definitely not worth more than Johnathan Thurston.

“All this is going to do is inflate contracts even more which is good for us [agents].

“The [marquee fund] sounds good in theory but what’s going to stop me from asking for overs for every other player now because Sam gets $1.5million?”.

If Burgess was to return it could mean the end of star centre Dylan Walker’s time at the club with the Redfern outfit expected to shed players for the big Englishman with State of Origin forward Chris McQueen already being shopped around.

Bath have named Burgess in their squad for the European Champions Cup and expected him back for training this week.