Dragons in
last-ditch bid to keep Gasnier

St George Illawarra coach Nathan Brown will meet with Nine Network boss Eddie McGuire on Friday in a last ditch bid to stop NRL star Mark Gasnier from jumping ship to rugby union next season.

Having met with Australian Rugby Union officials earlier this month and Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie yesterday, Gasnier's manager George Mimis will tomorrow hold discussions with Dragons chief executive Peter Doust about a possible deal to keep the Test centre at the joint-venture club.

Paramount to any contract talks would be the inclusion of third-party payments, with the Nine Network tonight confirming Brown will meet with McGuire at the television station's Sydney offices on Friday to discuss the possibility of topping-up the Dragons' offer to the talented three-quarter.

It is believed Gasnier could earn upwards of $750,000 a season in the 15-man game, which would dwarf anything he could earn in the NRL under the restraints of the salary cap.