Greg Inglis

Gregory Paul Inglis (born 15 January 1987), also known by the nickname of "G.I.", is a retired Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer, who regularly played as a centre, fullback, five-eighth and wing.

While in Year 11 at Brisbane's Wavell State High School, Inglis played for the 2004 Australian Schoolboys and was already attracting media attention as an NRL star of the future.

He played his first under 18s game for the Brisbane Wombats in 2004.

Before the end of the 2004 season the Storm had added Inglis to their full-time playing roster for the following year.

Inglis played for Melbourne in 2005 in a pre-season trial match against the Brisbane Broncos, scoring a try in the Storm's win.

While playing for Brisbane's Norths Devils in the 2005 Queensland Cup season, Inglis scored 12 tries in five games and had already become the subject of a battle between Queensland and New South Wales over which state he would play State of Origin for.

Inglis scored 194 points for the Norths Devils in the Queensland Cup.

In Round 6 of the 2005 NRL season, Inglis made his NRL premiership debut at 18 as a replacement to injured winger Jake Webster in Melbourne's match against the Parramatta Eels, scoring a try in the 26–14 loss at Olympic Park.

Inglis would go on to play a month later at fullback in Round 10 against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, scoring a try in the Storm's 38–12 win at Sydney Football Stadium.

Inglis played at fullback when Billy Slater was on Origin duty, or at wing or the bench as he slowly solidified himself in the Storm side.

At the 2005 Dally M Awards Inglis was nominated for the Rookie of the Year, but lost to Parramatta's Tim Smith.

The Storm went on to reach the finals that season and in a play-off match against the Brisbane Broncos, Inglis had his first experience in finals football.

With the game still in the balance, Billy Slater was helped from the field with an ankle injury and Inglis replaced him.

After being on the field for five minutes, he crossed the Broncos' line untouched to score the match-winning try.

The Storm then lost in the Semi-Finals to the North Queensland Cowboys 16–24, ending their season.

Season 2006 saw Inglis continue to play primarily in the role as his counterpart Billy Slater was suspended after he began the season at.

Inglis was chosen as goalkicker for the Storm after the departure of Matt Orford, but the role was given to Cameron Smith after Inglis kicked just 1 from 5 against the New Zealand Warriors in the Storms' 22–16 win at Mt Smart Stadium in Round 1.

After scoring 9 tries in 9 games, Inglis was selected in the starting line up in the Queensland State of Origin team.

Inglis' selection for the Queensland Rugby League State of Origin series team in 2006 created controversy which lingers nearly a decade later.

Inglis was born and raised in Bowraville, New South Wales, and played his first senior football in New South Wales (in the Arrive Alive Cup).

Hunter Sports High coach Steve Dunn exposed the fact that Inglis playing for the school in the Arrive Alive Cup made him eligible for NSW while Queensland Rugby League claim that either Wavell State High School or Brisbane Norths was Inglis' first senior football.

Leading rugby league statistician David Middleton provided information that Inglis should be playing for NSW.

The matter was resolved when the ARL gave Inglis the green light to play for Queensland Rugby League, because it allowed the QRL's submission that his first senior football was at Wavell High.

However, later investigations revealed that Inglis played his first senior game for Newcastle's Hunter Sports High School at the age of 16, and is therefore technically not eligible to play for Queensland.

However, Inglis went on to begin his State of Origin career with the Maroons, lining up alongside Storm teammates Cameron Smith and Dallas Johnson.

In 2007, he moved to and played at until early 2009 before he switched to centre when Brett Finch arrived at the club, where he played for the remainder of his time there until the end of 2010.

Inglis' representative matches for Queensland and Australia have been mainly as a or er.

In November 2009, Inglis won the Golden Boot Award as the world's best player – presented to him by Rugby League World magazine, becoming the third consecutive Storm player to win it, after Cameron Smith (2007) and Billy Slater (2008).

From 2011 to 2019, Inglis played in the NRL for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, including their 2014 premiership win.

A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative outside back, he previously played for the Melbourne Storm, with whom he won two grand finals, a Clive Churchill Medal and the Golden Boot Award.

Inglis was a versatile back, having played in several positions during his career.

He originally played or for the Storm, occasionally filling in at when injuries or players demanded.

In 2018, Inglis was given the captaincy of the Queensland Maroons for the series against the New South Wales Blues (2018).

At the end of the 2019 season, he announced his retirement, but in May 2020 signed with the Warrington Wolves for the 2021 English Super League season.

After three matches, a hamstring injury ended his tenure with that club.

Inglis was born in Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia to a family of Indigenous Australian (Dunghutti) heritage.

He began playing rugby league at a very young age for the Bowraville Tigers in New South Wales.

While living in Macksville, he grew up with fellow local, close friend and future Australian cricket player Phil Hughes.

At 15 years old, after being seen playing at a junior carnival on the NSW North Coast, Inglis signed his first professional contract with the Canberra Raiders but actually played his first senior game at 16 for Hunter Sports High School in New South Wales.

Later that year he moved to Brisbane, Queensland and continued to play senior football for Wavell State High School and Melbourne Storm's feeder club Norths Devils.