The return of Sam Burgess to rugby league Down Under looks likely to be confirmed in the coming days.
A high-ranking official from Australia’s National Rugby League landed in England at the weekend to hold talks with the England international about a switch back to Sydney.
Shane Richardson, who as South Sydney chief executive finalised the team's signing of Burgess from Bradford six years ago, has flown over for the Test series between England and New Zealand.
However, it is understood that he will also seek to negotiate a deal to buy the dual-code international back from his union club Bath.
Richardson, who left Souths at the same time as Burgess to take up the role of head of strategy at the NRL, was a guest of Rugby Football League chief executive Nigel Wood at Twickenham for Saturday's Rugby World Cup final.
He was also present at the first rugby league test match between England and the Kiwis at Hull's KC Stadium.
It is clearly the remit of Richardson to remove the only stumbling block to Burgess' return to the 13-man code - Bath's insistence on the return of the bulk of the €700,000 they reportedly paid to the Rabbitohs only 12 months ago.
The 26-year-old Burgess was a controversial selection for England's World Cup squad ahead of more established players.
He has two years left of his contract with Bath and is due to return to the Aviva Premiership club on Monday after being given time off to consider his future.
Bath coach Mike Ford admitted the player ‘didn't quite feel right’ when he initially returned from his unhappy stint with England during their failed world cup campaign
Super League champions Leeds have been linked with a move for the player but Burgess clearly feels he has a loyalty to Souths after they agreed to release him early from his contract to enable him to pursue his dream in the 15-man game.
His younger brothers Tom and George recently signed new contracts which will keep them at the club until the end of 2018 while older brother Luke plays for another Sydney club, Manly Sea Eagles.
Their mother Julie lives in Sydney after emigrating to Australia four years ago.
In addition to those family ties, Burgess is known to have plans to marry his Australian girlfriend Phoebe Hook in Sydney in December which all points to a confirmed return within days.
Burgess was brought in to union originally as a flanker, though England head coach Stuart Lancaster decided to use him in the centre.
With virtually no international experience he threw him in at the deep end in the must-win RWC Pool A game against Wales, which ended in defeat.
Both Burgess (pictured above playing for South Sydney) and Lancaster were heavily criticised following the game and it now looks as the short-lived experiment is at an end.
