The Reds have rubbished talk they snubbed Will Genia, with a myriad of factors having tied their hands.
The official QRU line is that they do not discuss contract matters, as it always is.
But RUGBY.com.au has spoken to other parties involved that have shed some light on the situation, which is complicated on several fronts.
The first of these complications is Genia's contract.
He initially signed with Bath for the 2015-16 season before moving to Stade Francais.
That means any potential release would have to be ticked off by his Paris-based club as well as Bath, which is no cheap venture.
That is, of course, questionable to begin with considering Genia is contracted until the end of 2018 and still at the peak of his powers.
Should both clubs release Genia, the next box that would need to be ticked is finding a Super Rugby club that has the cap room to meet his salary demands.
The Reds' salary cap has very little wiggle room to begin with and they have Nick Frisby, James Tuttle and Moses Sorovi contracted long term.
It's also understood Genia has not even approached the QRU to discuss a potential return and he isn't interested in playing for another Super Rugby club.
That means any return to the Reds would be contingent on ARU money and given Genia already qualifies for Michael Cheika's Wallabies side under the Giteau Law, coughing up the kind of coin the 29-year-old's management is asking for is a bridge too far.
