Well this is a turn-up for the books: Andrew Fifita said something worthwhile this week.
With rumours about Greg Inglis’ playing future swirling, Fifita weighed in with – dare I say it – some pretty sage words.
“I think everyone should leave GI be for a bit,” Fifita was quoted as saying by Fairfax (or Nine, or whatever we’re calling the publishers of the SMH these days).
Spot on, Andrew Fifita. Geez, didn’t think I’d ever write those words.
Inglis is taking a bit of time out, with reports he’s struggling with injury, may not have hit his ideal playing weight, and was crook last week due to a suspect takeaway feed.
(Between GI’s succulent Chinese meal and Julian Assange’s arrest, it’s been a solid couple of weeks for Democracy Manifest.)
As a result, Wayne Bennett gave GI the week off, leading to rampant speculation that the Queensland captain has played his last game.
His club coach didn’t exactly put such speculation to bed on Friday, when he confirmed that Inglis’ left shoulder is so affected by arthritis that he can’t lift it over his head.
“It flares up and it goes from bad to good to worse. (It’s) unpredictable, all over the shop with it,” Bennett said.
“Surgery won’t fix it.”
A totalled shoulder – and you kinda need shoulders in the game of rugby league.
Except the 32-year-old wouldn’t be the first player to be nursed through the final years of his career.
In fact, by the time you hit your 30s, if you’re lucky enough to still be playing, you’re likely doing so with the aid of needles or a seriously reduced training regime – or both.
Bennett won’t allow Inglis to needle-up to get right, so that means he needs to be managed with extended recovery.
Perhaps the Bunnies skipper simply won’t turn out each week, the club and coach instead having to select the best times to unleash him.
Ordinarily, that could be considered somewhat selfish – if you’re not right to play anymore, it’s time to hang up the boots.
But Inglis’ shoulder is an existing injury, meaning the $1.5 million he’s reportedly on until the end of next year will be taken out of the salary cap whether he retires today or in October 2020.
Which means there’s really no benefit to the club for him to give it away now – particularly since he’s set to move into an ambassadorial role in retirement, so he’ll still be receiving a healthy annual salary from South Sydney Football Club.
So, frustrating though it may be for fans, if Inglis is to see out his final contract, it’s likely to be a bit of a stop-start affair, and he’ll never quite be back at his best.
But Greg Inglis at 90 per cent is still devastating.
Plenty have pointed to his Origin 1 performance last year, when he led from the front and could have been named man of the match in a losing team.
I like to re-watch his second try against the Storm in the 2018 finals.
Adam Reynolds put up a bomb and Suliasi Vunivalu leapt high to take it. But big GI snatched the ball from Vunivalu’s clutches, looked up, and saw Billy Slater standing in front of him.
I swear, GI smiled at that moment and then ran straight at his rep and former club teammate, bulldozing over the top of Slater to score.
It was everything Greg Inglis does in three seconds – the leap, the skills, the footwork, the raw power.
Since then, he’s played a total of four games.
Obviously I don’t know exactly what has happened in the interim (although I can tell you the chicken-wing tackle he copped in that game against Melbourne was on his right shoulder).
But just four games ago, GI was putting in the kind of performances that win games (well, games against teams that aren’t NSW or the Storm).
He probably won’t be able to do it on a weekly basis ever again, but I’d hazard a guess that he can still do it.
Fingers crossed, Greg Inglis takes the time he needs – maybe it’s another week, maybe it’s a month or two – and comes back with his mind and body in a place where he can give us fans a final few shows.
As Andrew Fifita put it (agreeing with him twice, help me!): “I give it a few more months and he’ll be back and flourishing for the Rabbitohs and nobody will even be talking about this. They’ll be talking about how GI has run 100m and doing the ‘goanna’ down by the tryline.”
AE47
Roar Rookie
And who told you first
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
I think I just set a new PB for long posts. ;-)
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
"Can Souths use his cash fir a replacement player?" At this point the NRL's answer to tjat is NO! Had Inglis suffered the injury this year and it was not "preexisting" injury then yes, Souths would have Inglis's contract value removed from their salary cap and Souths would be able to recruit a player, or players, of equal value. Bad luck though if the initial injury occured at the end of the previous season. It appears in this case that the statute of limitations on this is decided by the calendar year which is, of course, complete BS! How can the NRL force Inglis, or any player, to stay in the game if they are busted or spent and want to walk away? How can the NRL force Inglis to take a payout if he says, "Hey, I can't play so I won't take a penny. My contract is null and void because I can't play anymore and I want to walk away"? How can the NRL interfere with Souths then hiring Inglis as a skills coach, mentor and ambassador for "coincidently" the same money that GI was on as a player? How is it any if their business what a club decides to pay their employees? It is a legal minefield and they are playing with fire thinking that they have any control over this. The NRL cannot abdicate their responsibility for player welfare or compensation to the clubs when it is their responsibility as owners and administrators of the game. The fact that Manly were forced to accept this BS from the NRL over snake and Matai justifies their outrage if Souths can write Inglis off their salary cap but it does not make it right. The Sea Eagles should have challenged this at the time and if Souths choose to do so when Manly did not then the success or failure of Souths legal challenge should not be predicated on this earlier miscarriage of justice and overstepping of the NRL's judicial or administrative authority. The NRL cannot be allowed to abuse their power and bully clubs into accepting the burden of the NRL's responsibility for player welfare and compensation. The line has to be drawn somewhere and ALL clubs should unite on this issue that at some point will surely impact all clubs.
db
Guest
Under the current rule, it's unlikely Souths would receive salary cap relief. This is a rule that should be changed to cover situations where players are medically retired regardless of the nature of the injury. A career ended due to a chronic injury should see the same salary cap relief as an injury caused by a single incident.
M
Guest
I see your point Papi. What happens if Inglis does retire now, due to injury, and does not want to take any money from Souths or from any insurer? Can Souths use his cash fir a replacement player?
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
The stage is set for Greg Inglis to announce his retirement from the game on Monday. FOX Sports is reporting that the Rabbitohs have confirmed that Greg Inglis will hold a press conference on Monday to end speculation about his retirement. Such a course of action seems extreme if he intends to announce that he will continue playing which could more easily be confirmed by Bennett, GI's teammates or if GI was named to play next week. Instead there is an air of finality to this announcement that former players in the media who know Greg well believe will confirm that he is pulling up stumps effective immediately.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Do I win the award for the longest post or what? The consequences of a lazy Sunday morning and a stream of consciousness reply. Bahahahahahaha
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
I'm sure the Rabbitohs will have GI involved at the club in some professional capacity post-career in the NRL just like John Sutton. Souths should give GI all the support and assistance they can but this does NOT extended IMO to carrying him on the salary cap IF he can't play. I think the NRL have made a mistake in establishing a precedent with Brett Stewart and Steve Matai being forced to remain on Manly's salary cap when they were no longer able to play due to injury. Irrespective of whether the injury was caused in the same year or earlier in their career the fact remains that the injury occured playing the game and players and clubs should be protected and compensated for this. Let's be frank about this. In the real world no one is allowed to stay in a position for long and be paid to do a job they are unable to perform. How long would a brain surgeon be allowed to work if they developed a condition like palsy? Would the hospital that employs them be forced to pay them if they could no longer work and perform their specialist role? The same thing with construction workers, factory workers, bus drivers et al. I think the NRL is in danger of facing class action litigation if they continue on this draconian and unreasonable course and need to accept that compensating players for permanent injuries sustained within their game is the responsibility of the NRL and NOT the clubs. As a fan I would be outraged if Souths were forced to have one of their highest paid players remain on their salary cap if they are no longer able to play the game. The NRL are culpable for any further injury to Inglis or worsening of his condition if Souths are forced to play Inglis needled up or otherwise when it is clearly not in his best interest to allow him to play any further. In short, where is the duty of care by the NRL? Where to was the duty of care by the NRL or Madge to play Inglis on one leg for 62 mins of an NRL game? What further avoidable damage was suffered by Inglis when both Souths and the NRL doctors failed their duty of care? How is it fair to have Souths forced to keep an incapacitated athlete on their books when the Roosters can have 3 players on $1 mill a season and another just short of that sum and still escape suspicion and an audit of their salary cap? If Cooper Cronk's chronic shoulder injury meant that he could no longer play would the NRL really force the Roosters to keep Cronk on their salary cap or would Politis find a convenient "loophole" to exploit to avoid this?
jamesb
Roar Guru
This is a tough one. He is having issues with his shoulder where surgery can’t fix. And he has publicly stated about his mental health issues. I just hope that he is not rushed into a retirement decision and is not content with the decision mentally. Because that would be a horrible way to go out. All the best GI.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Agreed Superspud. If he surrounds him self with the right people, can look at the positive (terrific career), he can do heaps in the community (not just his indigenous one) for nrl, sport and health. Or a career still involved in the nrl behind the scene. I only wish he had played for my teams (eels and nsw, lol)
steveng
Roar Rookie
I worry about GI’s after football career, as there are allot of similar champs that have gone the wrong way (as they didn’t say or do anything) and there was no help coming for them. That should be the biggest thing with GI as he’s shown that he is venerable in this regard. Get well soon GI we and the Bunnies need you either way, player or just being in the club!!!
Superspud
Roar Rookie
Yeah sad to see him go out like this but to be honest he has been struggling to produce week in week out for a while now. I actually fear for him in retirement and hope he has good support network.
Paul
Roar Guru
His club coach didn’t exactly put such speculation to bed on Friday, when he confirmed that Inglis’ left shoulder is so affected by arthritis that he can’t lift it over his head. “It flares up and it goes from bad to good to worse. (It’s) unpredictable, all over the shop with it,” Bennett said. “Surgery won’t fix it.” Just ignore whether Inglis is going to play again and focus on what this guy will have to put up with for the next 40 or 50 years of his life. Trying to put on a coat or jumper would be agony, as would sleeping if he rolled onto that shoulder. Think too of the things he won't be able to do or would struggle with, eg putting things in a cupboard above his head. We don't often see the effects the game can have on players in their lives post retirement, but here's an example of a champion having a condition which can only be managed, not fixed. And the sad thing is, this will only get worse.
Chilli
Roar Rookie
We can’t win the comp without him and he is our club captain. I think media is just having a drama day over this.. bloke just wants to get himself right on a few levels. No way he walks away in 2019!
AE47
Roar Rookie
He will hang up his boots Well done GI you my friend are another in a long tradition of indigenous CHAMPIONS
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
It sounds to me like Inglis needs to consider the health of his body after he retires above anything else at the moment.
The Barry
Roar Guru
It’s hard to know what’s true and what’s not with the rumour mill working overtime at the moment. More concerning are the stories about his mental health and if true he should be given the space he needs to get better. Sport fades in comparison but it would be terrible way for GI to go out from the game. Maybe that’s part of the battle he’s having. It would be good for us to see him retire with one more blaze of glory but really it’s all about what’s best for him.