SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 21: Greg Inglis of the Rabbitohs looks on during the round two NRL match between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on March 21, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
South Sydney star Greg Inglis has announced his retirement from rugby league, effective immediately.
One of the all-time greats, Inglis notched 263 first-grade games, including 146 for the Rabbitohs and 117 for the Melbourne Storm.
He played in five grand finals, claiming three premierships and also winning the Clive Churchill Medal in 2007. A five-time award-winning player, Inglis played 39 Tests for Australia and made 32 State of Origin appearances for Queensland, where he became Origin's all-time leading try scorer
The 32-year old called a press conference on Monday morning to reveal the news and will continue on at the Rabbitohs in a development coaching role.
“I’m not looking at today’s announcement as the end of my career. I’m looking at it as the start of my next one,” Inglis told reporters.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have had the playing career I have had, and to have played in some awesome teams with great team mates and under some great coaches. I want to thank them all for everything they have done for me and my family.
“This isn’t a decision I’ve taken lightly and over the last week, spending time with family and moving out of the spotlight, it has given me some clarity about the way forward for me and my family.
“People have always told me you’ll know when it’s time to retire from playing, and I know within myself that that time is now.
“My mind and body are telling me it’s time to move on to the next part of my career in this great sport and I’m really excited about making that transition and working with people like Wayne (Head Coach Wayne Bennett), Richo (General Manager of Football Shane Richardson), Blake (CEO Blake Solly) and Alisha (General Manager of Souths Cares Alisha Parker-Elrez) on making this Club the best it can be.
“I feel I have something to offer in coaching and I’m very keen to learn more from Wayne and the other coaches, and to work closely with the young players we have coming up through the grades here at the Rabbitohs. I feel that my experiences over the past 15 years will be of value to them and I want to pass those on.
“I’ve been meeting and working with Richo on a regular basis for more than two years now, learning the business of the Football Department and how all of that side of the club works.
“I’ve been active in Souths Cares and I’m keen to learn more about the community and administration side of the Club, so working with Alisha and Blake is a perfect way to do that.
“And I’ll also have the opportunity to work with Todd’s (Greenberg’s) team over at the NRL this year in their ambassador program which will be a good way to stay connected with the game as a whole.
“I want to thank everyone that has helped me throughout my career since I started playing as a kid, right through to representing my State and Country and the success my teams have had in winning premierships.
“I want to thank my family in particular and I look forward to spending more quality time with my kids.
“I owe everything to Rugby League and for that I will forever be grateful, and I feel as though I have given everything I’ve had to the game on the field. Now it’s time to give more back off the field.
“It’s been a great ride so far, and starting today, I can’t wait to get started on this next part of the journey.”