THE NAMBUCCA and Macleay valleys are a long way from Queensland, but locals should feel nothing but pride to see Greg Inglis this morning named to lead the Maroons in this year’s State of Origin.
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Inglis was born in Kempsey Hospital and raised at Bowraville, and he succeeds longtime Queensland captain Cameron Smith who surprisingly announced his retirement from all representative football a couple of weeks back.
Maroons coach Kevin Walters told the Brisbane Times he believes Greg Inglis can make the team his own after the Rabbitohs centre was officially unveiled as Queensland’s new Origin captain.
Chief selector Gene Miles would later confirm it was a two-horse race between Inglis and Billy Slater but the former’s influence as a leader at South Sydney tipped the scales in his favour.
Walters said Inglis was capable of leaving a physical mark on the game like Maroons icons Gene Miles and Mal Meninga, who guided Queensland into a golden era as coach.
“That was a really special moment for me and for Greg. He missed all of last year’s series (through injury) but you can see he’s ready for the challenge. I think he’s going to be an inspirational leader. I think you will see a team led very strongly by Greg Inglis,” Walters said.
Speaking to the Nambucca Guardian in 2014, former Bowraville Tigers president Danny Doolan said the club realised Inglis – even from a young age – “was something special and would become a superstar in rugby league”.
“Greg is a freakish talent,” Doolan told the Guardian. “He was always tall and lanky when he was young, so you knew he was going to grow into a superb athlete.
“His Bowra junior rugby league upbringing and country rugby league is always a great stepping stone to NRL – they breed them tough in the country.”
Inglis would score, on average, 50 tries a season in his junior games with the Tigers, and hasn’t stopped scoring points in the big league, celebrating with his now trademark move.
“The goanna crawl is a way of Greg expressing his Indigenous heritage, and I know Greg is very proud of his culture,” Doolan said. “I think every Bowra Tigers player will be trying to do the goanna now.”
Ironically, Inglis is likely to come up against his cousin, James Roberts, who was also born in Kempsey, and is widely touted to be selected for NSW this evening at the Blues Ball.
Queensland will feature three debutants in hooker Andrew McCullough, backrower Felise Kaufusi and bench forward Jai Arrow.
Queensland State of Origin game one side
Billy Slater, Valentine Holmes, Greg Inglis (capt), Will Chambers, Dane Gagai, Cameron Munster, Ben Hunt, Dylan Napa, Andrew McCullough, Jarrod Wallace, Gavin Cooper, Felise Kaufufsi, Josh McGuire. Reserves: Michael Morgan, Josh Papalii, Coen Hess, Jai Arrow.