Broncos skipper, Maroons teammate Darius Boyd pays tribute to Greg Inglis

Darius Boyd has a unique insight into Greg Inglis’ incredible feats on the field, but his appreciation for him goes far beyond football.

Greg Inglis and Darius Boyd shared plenty of great moments in State of Origin for Queensland.

Darius Boyd often had the best seat in the house for the Greg Inglis show, but his appreciation for him goes far beyond football.

Boyd scored 18 Origin tries, second only to Inglis’s 19, among the all-time try-scorers in the interstate series.

Their association went back to schoolboys and junior representative football when Inglis, the elder of the two by six months, was living in Brisbane and Boyd was at the Gold Coast.

Most of the Origin touchdowns Boyd scored on the left wing for Queensland, playing outside Inglis at left centre. Boyd scored 17 tries in 28 Tests, many played alongside someone he called a “great mentor’’.

“I roomed with him in the Origin team camps and played outside him for a number of years,’’ Boyd, 31, said.

Greg Inglis and Darius Boyd shared plenty of great moments in State of Origin for Queensland.

“We’re the same age and grew up the last couple of years of high school playing with and against him. I saw him play at Norths (in Brisbane first grade) and he was running 100m tries. At Melbourne he was a tall skinny kid making some NRL players look pretty embarrassed even at 18.

“He’s been a freak talent. He will go down as one of the greats of the game, as a Hall of Famer, one of those players you don’t see every generation.’’

Both Inglis and Boyd have been brave enough to admit to having had mental health challenges at times in their life and they share an appreciation of how their profession can impact them.

“The clubs and players are good at getting around their mate – it’s not about that ‘toughen up’ mentality anymore,’’ Boyd said.

Darius Boyd gets a hug from Greg Inglis after scoring a try for the Maroons.

“The game is getting harder and harder with the pressure and the scrutiny. At the end of the day, we are all human beings and the mental space can be challenging sometimes.

“We need to do our best to support each other as much as we can. It’s about supporting each other and getting through the ups and downs of what we do – there are some tough times.

“I’m sure the rugby league community will get behind Greg in whatever he wants to go.’’

Boyd said he admired how Inglis, shy with strangers, especially early in his career, had made himself available to young Aboriginal people seeking words or inspiration or just an example by football achievement that life can turn out all right.

“GI’s been a great role model in the community. He’s done so much for the indigenous community was well as a mentor,’’ he said.

Asked what his favourite Origin memory associated with Inglis, Boyd nominated his own debut, a 30-0 win in 2008 at Suncorp Stadium. Queensland were one-down in a series they would pull from the fire; Boyd was 20 and the established Inglis was 21.

“He set me up for two tries,’’ Boyd said with a smile.

“He fended off (NSW centre) Mark Gasnier a couple of times. Steve Turner was another one. He was jumping people … he’s a freak talent. He’s played for his state and country, won World Cups and won grand finals – he’s done it all.’’

Originally published as Broncos skipper, Maroons teammate Darius Boyd pays tribute to Greg Inglis