Greg Inglis
Gregory Paul Inglis, affectionately known as ‘GI’, was born on 15 January 1987 at Kempsey, NSW. A powerful runner and superb athlete standing 1.95 m tall and playing weight of 105kg, he was a nightmare for opposing teams’ defence. He was equally effective at centre or full-back.
A Bowraville Tigers junior, he was signed by Melbourne Storm in 2005. He stayed until 2010 appearing in 118 first grade games, scoring 78 tries, 9 goals and 3 field goals. From there he joined South Sydney, and is considered the best signing in the club’s history. Souths’ boss at the time Shane Richardson received a phone call from NRL boss David Gallop on Christmas Eve, telling him that 6 weeks of contract negotiations had been resolved, and Inglis was free to sign a Red and Green contract. Richo put the phone down and told the Football Club office “we’ve just won our 21st premiership”. This would come true in 2014.
The Boy From Bowraville
GI played for Souths from 2011-19 in 146 first grade games. He is first grade player #1077, scoring 71 tries and one field goal, a wobbly kick that scraped over the bar, to win the 2012 Round 5 game over Wests Tigers. A 17-16 win in golden point at the SFS. He retired in 2019 due to ongoing injuries.
Unforgettable
Many of Gregs tries for Souths were exciting and spectacular, but two are unforgettable. Both were scored during the 2014 premiership winning season. On Anzac Day, Round 8 at Suncorp Stadium, he picked up a grubber kick from Brisbane near our 20 metre line. He started his run to the far left corner, beating player after player with swerve, pace and power. Souths won 28-26.
Then there was the 30-6 grand final triumph against Canterbury. With full-time nearing, Luke Keary put him through a gap near half way, and he motored towards the left hand corner to score, doing his trademark goanna crawl in celebration. Souths players piled on top of one another in scenes of delirious joy.
Everything On Offer
Inglis achieved everything the game has to offer. He represented Queensland State Of Origin 32 times in 2006-18, scoring 18 tries. Played 39 Tests for Australia, crossing the line 31 times. GI proudly captained the Indigenous All Stars 4 times in 2012-16, scoring 4 tries. He was also captain in the Prime Ministers’ X111 in 2016 in one game, scoring 2 tries. He also went on to be Souths captain after 2014.
His player awards were many, including the 2007 Clive Churchill medallist for best player in the grand final. Another honour was the 2009 golden boot award for best player in the world.
He was inducted as a Life member of SSDRLFC at the AGM in 2020. A true legend of the game and excitement machine.
By Souths Historian Brad Ryder for Bunnies TV.
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