AFTER picking up one discarded halfback in Joe Williams, the Bulldogs are set to announce that another, albeit a premiership winner in Brett Kimmorley, has agreed to join the club.

The Herald understands Kimmorley has said yes to joining the Bulldogs from next season on a two-year deal - barring some fine print - ending one signing saga as well as making NRL-bound Trent Barrett's links to Cronulla even stronger.

But while Barrett's return to Australia is assured, the chances of his former Dragons teammate Mark Gasnier moving to France are growing with details emerging how failed third-party deals would cost him up to $1 million if he sees out the rest of his St George Illawarra contract.

Salary-cap pressures are also set to ensure Kimmorley plays at his sixth club. The halfback is an important piece in Barrett's future move, with the Sharks making no secret of their desire to move the former Melbourne and Northern Eagles player on in a bid to secure Barrett, who is seeking a release from Wigan - who yesterday confirmed the signing of Eels hooker Mark Riddell on a three-year deal.

The Bulldogs had been trying to convince the Sharks to pay a significant part of Kimmorley's salary for the final year of his contract, but it is understood they will have to make do with a minimal sum. The Bulldogs had been preparing to target star halfbacks Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk for 2010 but would have been ignoring next year in doing so.

It is understood new Bulldogs coach Kevin Moore, a former assistant with NSW and Australian sides involving Kimmorley, is a key factor in the 31-year-old's move.

"It's close but we've got a few little things to sort out," Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg said. "It'll be probably 24 hours before we can wrap it up."

It came on the day the Bulldogs offered an SOS to a player who is used to asking for SOSs. After losing Ben Roberts to a hamstring injury, the Bulldogs have signed Williams, the former Souths half, until the end of the season to shore up their squad.

Williams will this weekend line up against the team he has been confined to all season, the Windsor Wolves, in Bulldogs colours - effectively a trial run for an NRL return.

Greenberg also said talks with Brisbane pair Michael Ennis and Ben Hannant were "in a holding pattern", while the club had not given up on signing Maroons prop Carl Webb. The Bulldogs have extended the contract of centre Tim Winitana until the end of 2010.

Elsewhere, Dragons centre Matt Cooper said he would try to coax Dragons and Blues teammate Gasnier out of a move to French rugby union following the Origin series.

"Obviously, I want him to stay," Cooper said. "He's our captain, he's a big part of our future. Hopefully, he does decide to stay. He's one of our best players. He's just a part of the Dragons brand."

The prospect of being $1 million out of pocket following the evaporation of third-party deals - one with Channel Nine - after already losing about $350,000 in the first 18 months of his five-year deal - are believed to be at the heart of Gasnier's decision look elsewhere.

NRL chief executive David Gallop last night confirmed he met Dragons boss Peter Doust to discuss the issue but refused to comment specifically on Gasnier's situation.

Doust told AAP: "I don't want to make any comment about the contractual and/or sponsorship arrangements regarding Mark Gasnier at this point in time other than to say they've got nothing to do with the St George Illawarra Dragons. There's no issues as far as salary cap as far as the St George Illawarra Dragons are concerned."

And snubbed Titan Scott Prince has spoken for the first time about being ignored by Queensland Origin selectors, admitting the decision "doesn't sit right with me".

"I'm very disappointed," he said. "I was quietly confident that I might get an opportunity, but it wasn't to be. I had a feeling something like this might happen, and it has."

Prince was overlooked in favour of Brisbane fullback Karmichael Hunt - although it is becoming more likely by the day that Greg Inglis will play the majority of next Wednesday's Origin I at No.6 after the Melbourne star said yesterday: "Everyone can change positions. You just never know what the deal is. It all depends on how Mal [Meninga, Maroons coach] wants to go with the game."