Greg Inglis: 32 Origins (2006-2018)

[Big Pete]

Greg Inglis
32 Origins
18 Tries
2 Games as Captain

Let's address the elephant in the room. Inglis should have never been allowed to play for Queensland. He played the majority of his junior football in New South Wales and for all intents and purposes was a Blues junior.

With that out of the way, Inglis will go down in history as one of the greatest to play State of Origin football. His combination of size, speed and athleticism made him one of the most dangerous players on the park and there were games where he proved the difference between the two states.

When Mal Meninga was put in charge of the Maroons, he made a point of looking towards the future. Players like Greg Inglis, Sam Thaiday and Nate Myles were brought in because Mal recognised their talents and wanted to build around that generation of talent. Despite Inglis' mixed start to his Origin tenure, by 2008, Inglis had cemented himself into Origin folklore with one of the most dominant displays in Origin history. Game II 2008 maybe the greatest performance from any centre in Origin history and the way he bamboozled Gasnier, a fantastic Origin player in his own right, that night was unbelievable. For Inglis, it was vengeance after Gasnier got the better of him in Game I. Looking back, it's a shame Gasnier wasn't fit for Game III as it would have set the stage for a mouth-watering battle.

Would it be fair to consider Greg Inglis a Top 10 Origin player? Does he get a look into the Top 5?

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

Greg Inglis
32 Origins
18 Tries
2 Games as Captain

Let's address the elephant in the room. Inglis should have never been allowed to play for Queensland. He played the majority of his junior football in New South Wales and for all intents and purposes was a Blues junior.

With that out of the way, Inglis will go down in history as one of the greatest to play State of Origin football. His combination of size, speed and athleticism made him one of the most dangerous players on the park and there were games where he proved the difference between the two states.

When Mal Meninga was put in charge of the Maroons, he made a point of looking towards the future. Players like Greg Inglis, Sam Thaiday and Nate Myles were brought in because Mal recognised their talents and wanted to build around that generation of talent. Despite Inglis' mixed start to his Origin tenure, by 2008, Inglis had cemented himself into Origin folklore with one of the most dominant displays in Origin history. Game II 2008 maybe the greatest performance from any centre in Origin history and the way he bamboozled Gasnier, a fantastic Origin player in his own right, that night was unbelievable. For Inglis, it was vengeance after Gasnier got the better of him in Game I. Looking back, it's a shame Gasnier wasn't fit for Game III as it would have set the stage for a mouth-watering battle.

Would it be fair to consider Greg Inglis a Top 10 Origin player? Does he get a look into the Top 5?

Gaz wasn't fully fit for game 2 either but regardless Inglis was a better player and the best centre I've ever seen in origin. Would be in my top 10 but my knowledge of the game only goes back a little over 10 years. Wouldn't be in my top 5.

Smith
Thurston
Lockyer
Hayne
Slater

Were all better.

 

[davi]

Kevin Walters has said 'the door is always open' for Greg Inglis and hasn't ruled out a return for Inglis playing state of origin and throw a potential scenario (ala Alan Langer selected in 2001 when he was playing in England). However Inglis doesn't head to Warrington until December which would rule out a return this year. Its also hard to detect if Walters was serious or in jest as there was a bit of chuckling going on during the interview. It's a longshot, but I will add Queensland depth at the Centre position isn't the greatest.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Inglis is in my top 5 NRL players of the century. And definitely top 10 all time I’ve seen play. But there’s so many players at SOO level to choose from. And backs generally get the spotlight in history over the forwards who do so much of the work.

In SOO I don’t think he was as devastating consistently, but then again who has been. High quality games with high quality players can cancel each other out.. Like a world title fight can be...

But that doesn’t answer the question..

In terms of top 10 Origin players... Ive done a list for forwards and backs... players who were out and out in the best players each game, for a sustained period of time. Then whittle that down to an ultimate list for all. I’ve gone through loads of player lists so to try and not forget anyone... geez it’s tough to name a top 30... much less a top 10...

it’s only an opinion. But for what it’s worth, here’s mine.


Top 10 backs. My list..in order...

Wally Lewis
Allan Langer
Mal Meninga
Laurie Daley
Darren Lockyer
Johnathan Thurston
Greg Inglis
Jarryd Hayne
Brett Kenny
Chris Close

Try as I might...the most obvious omission was Slater. Many people would think im mad, he was such a brilliant player. Or guys like Johns, Fittler (who to my surprise never won a MOTM), Cronk, Sterling (who won 4 MOTMs), Stuart, O’Connor and a bunch of others..

Top 10 Forwards

Cameron Smith
Petero Civenoceva
Paul Gallen
Shane Webcke
Paul Harragon
Glenn Lazarus
Greg Bird
Bob Lindner
Gorden Tallis
Trevor Gillmeister

Again, tough to narrow down...

So then to an all-time top 10... what’s the mix from the two... well mine goes like this..

1 - Lewis
2 - Smith
3 - Langer
4 - Meninga
5 - Daley
6 - Civenoceva
7 - Gallen
8 - Lockyer
9 - Thurston
10 - Inglis

That’s my list... Inglis made it. Just.

The thing that struck me is how many long-term great players Qld had against long term NSW players. That might be obvious to many but even given the big run Qld had, most of those series were tight. And before that, NSW dominated for a number of years.

Anyway was a fun exercise for me. Might second guess myself on a few selections by tomorrow. An argument can be put up for so many who didn’t make it.

 

[isaiah]

Greg Inglis
32 Origins
18 Tries
2 Games as Captain

Let's address the elephant in the room. Inglis should have never been allowed to play for Queensland. He played the majority of his junior football in New South Wales and for all intents and purposes was a Blues junior.

With that out of the way, Inglis will go down in history as one of the greatest to play State of Origin football. His combination of size, speed and athleticism made him one of the most dangerous players on the park and there were games where he proved the difference between the two states.

When Mal Meninga was put in charge of the Maroons, he made a point of looking towards the future. Players like Greg Inglis, Sam Thaiday and Nate Myles were brought in because Mal recognised their talents and wanted to build around that generation of talent. Despite Inglis' mixed start to his Origin tenure, by 2008, Inglis had cemented himself into Origin folklore with one of the most dominant displays in Origin history. Game II 2008 maybe the greatest performance from any centre in Origin history and the way he bamboozled Gasnier, a fantastic Origin player in his own right, that night was unbelievable. For Inglis, it was vengeance after Gasnier got the better of him in Game I. Looking back, it's a shame Gasnier wasn't fit for Game III as it would have set the stage for a mouth-watering battle.

Would it be fair to consider Greg Inglis a Top 10 Origin player? Does he get a look into the Top 5?

Majority of his junior football? At what age did he play colts for norths and school footy for wavell, 17? I saw him at runaway bay early that year play in a district junior carnival. It was a master stroke by our administrators to pinch his eligibility out from under their noses. We were smarter then.

 

[Mr Angry]

Inglis
Lockyer

The rest

 

[mongoose]

I'm a Raiders fan and am happy to say Inglis was better centre for QLD than Mal. GI was the best origin centre ever, no contest.

 

[typicalfan]

Inglis is the main reason for Qld dominance over the last 15 years. We set game plans around to simply stop him and they usually failed. Beau Scott springs to mind, made Mark Gasnier look second rate.

 

[typicalfan]

Gaz wasn't fully fit for game 2 either but regardless Inglis was a better player and the best centre I've ever seen in origin. Would be in my top 10 but my knowledge of the game only goes back a little over 10 years. Wouldn't be in my top 5.

Smith
Thurston
Lockyer
Hayne
Slater

Were all better.

In Origin only Smith I would say was definitely better, Inglis was either as good as the rest or better.

Definitely better than Hayne.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

In Origin only Smith I would say was definitely better, Inglis was either as good as the rest or better.

Definitely better than Hayne.

Is that for the history of Origin? Or since a certain time/you first started watching etc?

 

[typicalfan]

Is that for the history of Origin? Or since a certain time/you first started watching etc?

I would say in the dominant era Qld had since 2006.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

I would say in the dominant era Qld had since 2006.

Yep understood. Qld had a glut of great players through that era. An argument can be made for many of them to be the best at the time.

Through the same era - do you have an opinion of NSW's best player?

We had about a thousand players of course, so no lack of choices!

 

[typicalfan]

Yep understood. Qld had a glut of great players through that era. An argument can be made for many of them to be the best at the time.

Through the same era - do you have an opinion of NSW's best player?

We had about a thousand players of course, so no lack of choices!

Gallen or Hayne, Josh Morris played well too.

I just can't recall a non spine player having so much of the game plan revolve around them individually as GI. Lewis and Cam Smith similar in that way but they are spine players.

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

In Origin only Smith I would say was definitely better, Inglis was either as good as the rest or better.

Definitely better than Hayne.

Haha you’re dreaming.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Gallen or Hayne, Josh Morris played well too.

I just can't recall a non spine player having so much of the game plan revolve around them individually as GI. Lewis and Cam Smith similar in that way but they are spine players.

True about the game plan, particularly in the backs. And he’s been a great player in origin.

But of the “non-spine” players in recent times, say the last 10 years, I gotta say there’s another maroon that’s been the standout for mine. Dane Gagai. He’s the player who’s been the best maroon outside the spine players Qld have had, or at least the one I remember the most.