Darius Boyd shuts door on Origin swansong following Greg Inglis’ retirement
Broncos skipper Darius Boyd has confirmed he will not come out of representative retirement to help the Maroons following Greg Inglis’ decision to walk away from the NRL.
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Broncos skipper Darius Boyd has confirmed he will not come out of representative retirement to help the Maroons following Greg Inglis’ decision to walk away from the NRL.
Inglis and Boyd formed the most lethal left-sided combination in State of Origin history with the pair combining for a staggering 35 four-pointers to become the two most prolific tryscorers in the code’s toughest arena.
When Inglis missed the entire 2017 Origin series after snapping his ACL in the opening round for South Sydney, Boyd helped fill the void, playing left centre in Queensland’s 18-16 victory in Game Two at ANZ Stadium.
Boyd subsequently suffered a broken hand in the same game and it would represent his 28th and final match for the Maroons, with the Broncos veteran announcing his Origin retirement midway through last year’s series.
In pre-season, a rejuvenated Boyd suggested he was open to a possible comeback to Camp Maroon this season, but after learning of Inglis’ retirement, the Broncos captain finally ruled out the prospect of succeeding ‘GI’.
“I don’t think so ... I retired last year if you remember,” Boyd said on Wednesday following Brisbane training session ahead of Sunday’s clash with Canberra.
Pressed on whether he was any chance of resurrecting his Queensland career, Boyd was more emphatic, declaring: “No chance”.
If anyone can appreciate Inglis’ legacy to rugby league, it is Boyd, who played 23 of his 28 games for Queensland on the left flank, largely profiting from the retired Souths skipper’s power, speed and ability to create space.
“I sent him (Inglis) a really nice text,” Boyd said.
“We are a similar age, we played the last few years of school against each other and I was lucky enough to room with him for a fair amount of Origin games and Test matches.
“He set me up for a heap of tries in Origin which I’m very grateful for. He’s a pleasure to play outside. He made my job easier.
“I wasn’t surprised he retired, it was up to him individually.
“At the end of the day, he made the decision that was best for him and his family. He has had an amazing career, he has been a great role model especially in the indigenous community and he will go on to bigger and better things with life after footy.”
Having emphatically closed the door on an Origin renaissance, Boyd, who turns 32 in July, concedes his primary focus is snapping Brisbane’s dismal three-match losing streak.
He hit back at suggestions he is out of form, with Queensland legend Paul Vautin having described his last-line defence as “abysmal”.
“I have been pretty happy with my game to be honest,” he said.
“I’ve made some good metres and I’ve been really involved, I’ve been working the attack line well.
“I’ve missed a few tackles which I need to pick up on definitely, but it’s about improving each week and making sure I am there talking with the halves.”
Originally published as Darius Boyd shuts door on Origin swansong following Greg Inglis’ retirement
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