Inglis farce shows Blues bloodline blunder
By Josh Massoud | June 20, 2009 12:00am
THEY share the same relatives, emulated the same Origin heroes and grew up in the same NSW town.
Yet somehow Bowraville cousins Greg Inglis and Albert Kelly have been divided along state lines.
In an indictment of Origin's farcical eligibility rules, the pair will don different-coloured jerseys at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday night.
Given he was raised 400km south of the Tweed, Maroon-clad Inglis has infuriated NSW fans since he mysteriously made his debut for Queensland three years ago.
Those frustrations are sure to be amplified when Kelly turns out for NSW in the under-18s curtain-raiser to Origin II.
"Our mothers are cousins and we grew up around the corner from one another," the 18-year-old Parramatta prodigy said.
"We'd all get around in the park and pretend to be different Origin players like Trent Barrett and Shaun Timmins."
Kelly admitted he was confused upon learning Inglis would represent Queensland in 2006.
"It was weird," he said. "Seeing Greg in the maroon was weird at first.
"The whole family are NSW fans, but with Greg playing for Queensland a few have had to change.
"His parents now support Queensland and I've got to admit I did, too, when Greg started playing for them.
"My parents stuck with NSW, but they'd cheer when Greg got the ball which was pretty funny.
"I'll have to change back now, though, that I'm playing for NSW."
Inglis's bewildering allegiance switch was the result of cunning from QRL officials, who immediately claimed the then 16-year-old after he played an Arrive Alive Cup game for Wavell State High in 2003.
But it later emerged Inglis appeared for Newcastle-based Hunter Sports High in the same schoolboys competition earlier that season, which should have confirmed his status as a Blue because he played his first football as a 16-year-old in NSW.
When the real story emerged, ARL boss Geoff Carr said there was no provision in the eligibility rules for Inglis to switch back to his state of birth.
"I always thought Greg would play for NSW and someone had to explain the technicalities to me," said Kelly, who has been selected at five-eighth for the Blues tyros.
"I'm OK with it as long as Greg is happy and I don't think he'll ever want to change back.
"Either way, he'd carve it up."
Kelly's bloodlines have directed plenty of attention his way this season - despite the fact he is still yet to play an NRL game. He scored five tries for Parramatta's NSW Cup side Wentworthville recently, his first coming just 11 seconds into the game.
"I feel as though I'm ready for first grade, my manager thinks I'm ready and my pop thinks I'm ready," Kelly said. "I've just got to wait until the coach thinks I'm ready.
"It hasn't come up yet."
Kelly also said he was "stressing" about contract negotiations, with Melbourne offering him the chance to join Inglis at the Storm next year and Wests Tigers also in the frame.
"But I want to give Parramatta every chance because they gave me this opportunity," he said.
