Scans have confirmed an ACL injury suffered by Greg Inglis in Friday night’s match against the Wests Tigers, taking his toughness to a brand new level.
Inglis slipped trying to make a tackle on James Tedesco in the 10th minute, twisting his knee and injuring his ACL, ruling the Kangaroo out for up to six months, potentially ending his season. But it’s what happened after the slip that really had everyone realising how tough Greg Inglis really is.
Inglis stayed onto the pitch until the 57th minute, playing more than a half of footy with an injured ACL, even hobbling over for a try late in the first half. Most players are lucky to walk off by themselves after an ACL injury, let alone push out another 40 minutes on the pitch AND score. It’s a testament to a man who refuses to let his team down.
Coach Michael Maguire has copped a battering from fans and commentators for leaving the South Sydney captain out there, but ‘Madge’ revealed in the press conference that it was, in fact, Inglis that had made the call to stay out on the pitch.
“Our medical staff further examined the injury at the half-time break and they felt the knee was stable, and they along with the Head Coach and Greg himself agreed that he would go on and play in the second half, ” said Maguire.
Unfortunately for Inglis, the Tigers began to exploit the injury, with ‘GI’ failing to move laterally at all, allowing debutant Moses Suli to stroll over for a simple try. With Hymel Hunt also off the field wit a concussion for the majority of the match, pulling Inglis off with half the second half was a hard but correct choice from Maguire, realising Inglis had become a passenger out on the field.
Since taking the reins at the club in 2012, Michael Maguire has instilled a toughness in the squad that had been absent for years. Since then, Inglis has played half a game with an injured ACL, in 2015 John Sutton played out a match with a fractured and, most famously, in the 2014 NRL Grand Final, Sam Burgess played an entire match with a broken cheekbone and eye socket. He’s built a club of players who refuse to step down from a challenge.
The injury is also a blow for both Queensland and Australia, who will be missing the star centre for the ANZAC test and State of Origin. While Inglis is a superstar at rep level, it could be a blessing in disguise for the Maroons, opening the door for Dane Gagai to move into the centres and debut Valentine Holmes on the right wing. Centre is one area that Queensland lacks depth, so they’ll have their fingers crossed this is the only injury setback they’ll suffer.
South Sydney will face the Manly Sea Eagles at Lottoland next Saturday evening without their captain and custodian, with Alex Johnston expected to start at fullback, and potentially debuting Braidon Burns on the right wing. Already missing Adam Reynolds, it’s a tough assignment for Souths early on, but with a tough squad, you never know.
