Inglis to retire from NRL at end of 2020

The last of Queensland's golden generation is set to walk off into the sunset with Greg Inglis announcing he will retire from the NRL at the end of 2020 and 2019 will be his final year of representative football. The South Sydney skipper on Friday put an end date on his illustrious career that has included 261 NRL games, three premierships, five grand finals,
39 Tests for Australia and 32 Origins for Queensland. Inglis began his career with the Storm but was forced out at the end of 2010 following the club's salary cap scandal. A move to the Rabbitohs, and a shift to fullback, solidified his legacy after he played a leading part in their drought-breaking premiership in 2014. He flagged the possibility of moving into coaching post-retirement and said he was committed to capitalising on the club's premiership window under new coach Wayne Bennett over the next two seasons.

Greg Inglis escapes conviction for drink driving

NRL star Greg Inglis has escaped conviction for speeding and drinking driving after a magistrate noted his “significant” contribution to the community off the field. The South Sydney Rabbitohs captain was told he was free to go as long as he adhered to an 18-month good behavior bond. Outside court a subdued Inglis, 32, gave a short statement.
Inglis was stripped of the Australian captaincy after he was clocked at 99km/h in an 80 zone of the Great Western Highway at Lithgow before he returned a reading of 0.085. His lawyer, James Jordan, told the court he had been celebrating that achievement with friends and family the night before. But he said he stopped drinking and went to bed shortly after midnight and waited until 11 the next day to begin the drive back to Sydney.

Bennett's blunt call: 'Inglis is not my first choice'

Hold the phone, Greg Inglis isn't a lock for the South Sydney fullback role next NRL season. So says new coach Wayne Bennett, who denies promising the Rabbitohs' superstar skipper the No.1 jumper in 2019 ahead of young gun Alex Johnston. Bennett insists not only is he confident that Johnston will honour the final year of his contract amid rumours he wants a shot at a fullback elsewhere, but that Johnston is also in the running for the custodian role.

"No, (Inglis) is not my first choice as fullback," Bennett said after overseeing his first Rabbitohs training session on Tuesday after his dramatic weekend sacking from Brisbane. "We'll talk to 'GI' about where he wants to play and where he thinks the team will benefit the most from his position. "He's been one of the great players in our game. When it's all added up - history and Immortals and everything else - he's going to be right up there amongst them all. "So I don't like telling those guys where they have to play. I want them, when they've given so much, to be happy where they're playing.

Thurston backs Inglis as Roos captain

Retired Kangaroos great Johnathan Thurston believes Greg Inglis should be reinstated as captain once he returns from suspension next year. The Queensland captain had been named to skipper Australia against New Zealand last Saturday following Cameron Smith's representative retirement before being charged for speeding and drink driving. The centre was stood down for two Tests, meaning he will also miss Saturday's clash with Tonga in Auckland, but Thurston said should assume the post beyond that. "Yeah definitely; I think he's the man for the job," Thurston said. "We've seen what he did for the Maroons. In some of those games I thought he was the best on the paddock ... he leads by example
 

"We all make mistakes and he's made one and owned up to it and no doubt he'll want to put it behind him and be better for it." Boyd Cordner took the reins in Inglis's absence last Saturday as Australia were humbled 26-24 by an inspired New Zealand outfit. Calling for more composure, Thurston said they would need to lift or face further embarrassment against a Tongan side with plenty to prove. "I just think they lacked a bit of composure at times (against New Zealand)," he said. "I felt like they were trying to win the game every time they made a line break (and were) pushing the pass. "They'll (Tonga) be jumping out of their skin, very fired up and no doubt our boys will need to be a lot better than they were the other night."

No restrictions of future Inglis captaincy

Greg Inglis will be eligible to be returned to the Kangaroos captaincy as soon as next year after his first stint ended before it began on Tuesday. Inglis was suspended for Australia's Tests against New Zealand and Tonga on Tuesday, after he was charged with mid-range drink driving and speeding just hours after his appointment was announced on Monday morning.

The 31-year-old was replaced as captain by Sydney Roosters premiership-winning skipper Boyd Cordner, who also led NSW to a rare State of Origin series victory this year. However it's understood the decision won't leave Inglis ineligible to resume the role when the Kangaroos play again at the end of next year, allowing Meninga the freedom to return him to the captaincy if he sees fit. Meninga said in a statement on Tuesday he hoped to see Inglis back in the side in 2019, after the left centre had helped set up the team's standards charter in 2016.

Inglis suspended as Kangaroos name new captain

Greg Inglis’ Kangaroos captaincy lasted just 28 hours before he was suspended for Australia’s two-Test rugby league tour of New Zealand and replaced as leader by Boyd Cordner. Appointed to the role of national captain on Monday, Inglis paid the price for allegedly being caught speeding and drink driving just hours later in Lithgow.

The South Sydney star fronted the media on Tuesday to apologise but said he felt he deserved to stay on as Kangaroos captain. Those hopes were quickly quashed by NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg and Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga two hours later. “Greg is not just a great player, he is one of our best role models, but he made a poor decision on this occasion,” said Greenberg, announcing the suspension.

Greg Inglis cops punishment for drink driving indiscretion

Greg Inglis’ Kangaroos captaincy lasted just 28 hours before he was suspended for Australia’s two-Test rugby league tour of New Zealand and replaced as leader by Boyd Cordner. Appointed to the role of national captain on Monday, Inglis paid the price for allegedly being caught speeding and drink driving just hours later in Lithgow. The South Sydney star fronted the media on Tuesday to apologise but said he felt he deserved to stay on as Kangaroos captain.

Those hopes were quickly quashed by NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg and Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga two hours later. “Greg is not just a great player, he is one of our best role models, but he made a poor decision on this occasion,” said Greenberg, announcing the suspension. “He deserves full credit for being up front today by apologising and taking full ownership of his mistake. “It is a mark of the man that he has accepted responsibility for his actions and I have no doubt he will overcome this setback and retain his status as a true leader in our game.” Inglis will not challenge the ban and it remains possible he could return as the Kangaroos captain next year when Meninga names his next squad.

Greg Inglis' defiant response to Kangaroos captaincy pressure

Greg Inglis has offered a surprising response to his drink-driving scandal, refusing to step down as Kangaroos captain. Inglis addressed the media on Tuesday, apologising for his criminal charge. However GI says he will leave it to coach Mal Meninga and the NRL to decide whether he will remain Test captain. On Monday, Inglis was named Kangaroos skipper by Meninga just hours before he was pulled over by police after being clocked speeding and returning a positive blood alcohol test.

Inglis did not resign or quit the Australian team when he fronted media, as had been speculated by some, saying he hoped to hold on to his captaincy post but would accept any decision taken by those in charge. “I don’t think I’ve let my country down,” he said. “It’s out of my hands now but it’s something I would really love to still be the Australian captain. “Obviously we have standards there. I was in the meetings when we addressed those standards in the group a couple of years ago.“It’s disappointing from my end.”

The precedent that could spell disaster for Greg Inglis

As rugby league greats call for Greg Inglis to be stripped of the Test captaincy, a precedent could mean it’s actually worse than that. Test selector Laurie Daley believes Inglis needs to relinquish the Kangaroos captaincy after being nabbed drink driving and speeding just hours after being bestowed the honour. Former Test skipper Daley said the South Sydney star had let the game down, claiming his position as leader of the national side was now untenable.

“It has to change things,” he said on the Big Sports Breakfast. “Greg’s been a terrific leader for South Sydney and Queensland but I don’t think you can have the Australian captain going DUI. “I’m pretty sure Greg and Mal (coach Mal Meninga) will come to the decision that he needs to step down as captain of his country.” However Meninga has form with such situations, dropping Josh Papalii from the national side for drink driving in 2017. It’s unlikely that Meninga would go the extent of dropping Inglis altogether, but the precedent is certainly there.