Greg Inglis leads from the front but Maroons can’t follow suit
GREG Inglis was the leader Queensland needed, standing up where his teammates couldn’t, and as the Maroons desperately strive to keep the series alive he showed he’s up for the challenge.
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WHEN Greg Inglis ran on to the ground at the MCG, it was quite clear from the look on his face that he was ready to go on a rampage.
It was Inglis’ long-awaited return to the Origin arena, after a serious knee injury kept him out of the 2017 series.
If the comeback was not significant enough, it was also Inglis’ first time captaining the Maroons — the third skipper in Queensland’s long-running dynasty.
There is no doubt it was a massive challenge for Inglis to not only fill the shoes of Cameron Smith but to also lead the one of the most inexperienced sides Queensland have fielded in a long time.
And, while he was unable to get the win, he was the leader the Maroons needed.
Coach Kevin Walters said after the game that Inglis was the best on the field for the Maroons and he was proud of his efforts.
“I thought Greg was our best player,” he said.
“If we had 17 Greg Inglises we probably would have won that game.”
Inglis said however that he wasn’t looking to make any kind of statement, but just tried to lead by example.
“I wanted to just go out there and do what I can do for the team,” he said.
“I thought the effort was outstanding … I said it to them in the huddle at the end.”
He stood up in the areas where some of his teammates were failing, combining with his fellow backline players to make the majority of the metres for the team.
Inglis was always the first to come through on the kick-chase, he ate up 119m and made six tackle busts throughout the night.
He played a big part in silencing NSW weapon James Roberts and was a force to be reckoned with in defence.
It was a tough game for Queensland from the get-go.
By the 26th minute they looked run off their feet, had just 40 per cent possession and NSW were dominating in a big way.
But when you need a moment to turn the tide, it’s your leaders you look to and Inglis delivered, racing through to put a bone-crunching tackle on NSW winger Tom Trbojevic.
While he was ruled off-side, the entire Queensland team lifted immediately, with Valentine Holmes scoring an intercept try in the very next minute.
In the 64th minute, it was another Blues debutant in his sights, as he smashed playmaker Nathan Cleary.
It is a bitter pill to swallow that all of Inglis’ efforts were just not enough to get his side a win.
They will now head into enemy territory desperate for a victory on June 24.
The team will turn to Inglis once again, but after this effort it’s clear that the star centre is up for the challenge.
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