Nice wheels: Craig Wing with his new car at Redfern Oval this week. Photograph: Anthony Reginato / The Daily Telegraph
The Rabbitohs star could launch legal action against the club as early as this week over third-party sponsorship money he believes he is owed.
According to those close to Wing, this car was supposed to be delivered at the start of last season as part of a $400,000-a-season deal.
But the NSW Origin hopeful only collected the keys from Five Dock's Audi dealership on May 1 this year.
The late delivery of his new ride, which has been registered with salary-cap auditor Ian Schubert, heads a list of grievances Wing is expected to thrash out this week with Souths chief executive Shane Richardson.
The bigger issue for Wing is the $150,000 third-party sponsorship money he says he hasn't been paid.
Compounding the issue, there is talk South Sydney are secretly plotting to show Wing the door come October to make room for new signings Michael Crocker and Dave Taylor under the salary cap. Richardson has strongly denied this.
Crocker has been handed the job at McGrath Real Estate headquarters in Rushcutters Bay that Wing was supposed to have been paid $100,000 last year for doing.
Despite the off-field distractions, Wing maintained he had no issues with coach Jason Taylor or his team-mates as he prepared to take on Wests Tigers at the SCG today.
"Realistically, the way rugby league is these days anything can happen. You never know where you stand or what's happening,'' Wing said.
"All I'm focused on is that my footy's going well and I'm happy. I'm happy training with the boys and I get on really well with the team.
"All that other stuff will work itself out. I want to keep playing for as long as I can. I had most of last year out so my enthusiasm and passion for the game and playing footy is re-invigorating. Now that I'm fit and healthy, I'm bouncing around like I was five or six years ago. I've still got my speed and my fitness, so I could play until whenever.''
In 2007, Gold Coast dangled a $400,000-a-season contract carrot in front of him. But he didn't want to leave his family in Sydney, primarily sister Kirsty, who has Down syndrome.
So Wing reached out to Crowe and a deal was struck, with the help of mentor Alan Jones. Wing believes that deal has never been fully met.
"I don't really want to go into it, my manager Wayne Beavis is trying to sort it out at the moment,'' Wing said.
South Sydney are trying to wash their hands of the failed McGrath deal, insisting the terms of the third-party arrangements were agreed on a best-endeavours basis.
Richardson insisted the club was not shopping Wing around for next season. Underlining Souths' position, they have sent him a letter pledging to honour the terms of his contract until the end of 2011.
"The club never guaranteed any money regarding the McGrath deal. There was an agreement struck between John McGrath and Craig,'' Richardson said.
"We are not shopping Craig anywhere. We have no plans for Craig to be anywhere but South Sydney. If that changes because of Craig being disgruntled or otherwise, then we'll look at those situations when they arise.''