'My nan was my biggest supporter': GI's 'emotional' week amid hall of fame honour 09:15

Wonderful to have you with us, Mark Levy, Boyd Cordner, Darrell Broman and of course Paul Gallen on this Saturday afternoon. Well earlier this week it was announced Greg Inglis would be one of 11 new inductees into the NRL Hall of Fame. GI made his debut for the Storm in 2005 and became one of the club's big four superstars before moving to South Sydney in 2011 where he finished his career on 263 first grade games when he retired in 2019.

Inglis was a mainstay of the Maroon State of Origin side throughout their record-breaking decade of dominance, playing 32 Origins while he also played 39 Test matches for the Kangaroos. And I'm pleased to say the Rugby League Hall of Famer and Rugby League legend Greg Inglis is on the line. G'day, G.I.

Hey, boys, how are you? Mate, really, really well. Firstly, congratulations, mate, to be inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame. Just tell us what it means to you and to your family. Oh, look, it's a massive thing, you know. It's one of the highest accolades you can ever get. And, you know, we play the game because we love it. We don't play for the accolades or whatever that comes with it. Well, that's the way I see it anyway. And do you really have to do an introduction about Queensland? Look, you've got Gowling Corker there. Yeah.

Mate, it's great to have a Queenslander on board. G.I., where are you from again? Sorry, I can't remember. That's all right, buddy. Don't keep bringing that up. Come on, girl. That's in Queensland. Hey, G.I., it's Corkery, mate. I just wanted to say congratulations, mate. It's such a huge achievement being named in the Hall of Fame. You've had an outstanding career, a lot of success. I just want to know, where does this rank, mate, in terms of, you know, premierships, origins?

Sorry to hear, mate.

So just having that there in the back of my mind when I got that phone call, yeah, it's quite emotional. G.I. Gow, mate, congratulations. Very, very happy for you. You should be proud of yourself, mate. Mate, back to 2011, you were at the Melbourne Storm. You started at the Melbourne Storm. You had a couple of wonderful years there, obviously. And then you had to move to South Sydney. How did that change you or change your career? What did it do for you?

I think it just brought me more individual confidence, to be honest, Gail. Going from what I knew in Melbourne and bringing that into South Sydney, it was, you know, to be honest, I really didn't want to come to Sydney. I just, you know, it wasn't my taste. But, you know, after a year or so, I found my feet and then having Matt G sort of like brought me back in that confidence and confidence as a player. So...

Look, it was a big move. It was one that I didn't want to, but I'm glad that I did. And then from there, you went on to win the 2014 Premiership and break that big drought for the Bunnies. What did that mean to you?

Yeah, well, it was quite emotional, to be honest, Gal. You know, as you would know, doing it for the Sharkies. It was very... You know, I didn't even go out with the boys afterwards. I was mentally drained. I just went home. Just had my baby boy then too. So, yeah, I just wanted to get home and I left my parents celebrating with the boys. I went home. Gee, I'm interested in your initial move to Melbourne because at that stage, like...

I think it was you, Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith, you all got there about the same time, I think. And you sort of, no one had known who you were or no one really knew much about you, particularly down here in New South Wales. And then you blokes sort of went into that Melbourne side and just became superstars, all of you. It was an amazing time, would have been an amazing time in your life.

Yeah, it was. I think Coops was still coming back and forth because Matty Hoffa was in front of him and Bill and Cam was what he made their debut in 2004 and that was more consistently in the side. Coops and I were travelling back and forth with Hoffie as well, Ryan Hoffman. So, yeah, I just came through that there. I was signed at 14 and just an agreement scholarship thing to get me through the years and

Yeah, from that day, I signed an official contract at 17. So, with Melbourne, they sent me up there and turned the wave all high. And, yeah, it was quite a journey. But, you know, to be, like I said, getting that phone call and it coming out, it was, yeah, excitement overload. But it was emotional at the same time. Not just the wave all high, because you played for Brisbane North. And I think, did all you boys come from Brisbane North? I think...

Yeah, we all came through. That was a feeder club. The four of you? Yeah. Yeah, the four of us. And, you know, that's where we used to, I think, for about five, six years. Melbourne Storm was affiliated with North Devils. Joe, of all the wonderful things you did, and you did everything, do you have a moment or something that sticks out as the absolute highlight?

Yeah, I could never go past my debut, to be honest, you know, because I always go back to where it started from for me. And getting that debut jersey handed to me by Craig in Melbourne, you know, getting that there...

It wasn't my best game, bit of mixed lollies, but, you know, they had faith in me, but I could never get past my debut. You know, it was the start of a journey for me. Gee, I've always wanted to ask you this question. How does it make you feel knowing that

And, you know, when you retired and when you were still playing the game, there were young kids out there trying to play like Greg Inglis, trying to put the big fend on, trying to score the tries, trying to do the Goanna post-try celebration. How did that make you feel as a legend of the game, knowing the kids were aspiring to be you at a junior level?

Oh, it's incredible. Like, I get my mates in that send me photos and videos of them, of their young kids playing and trying to do it. And it's just really good to see that we're in a really good position as role models and to do the right thing. And, you know, we get to showcase our talent on the weekends. And, you know, that inspires kids to go out there and play better or, you know, they want to be like, you know, be like Gal, be like Corga, be like me, be like bro. It doesn't, you know...

It's just a simple thing that we do on the weekend, but it has a massive ripple effect throughout. When you look back on your career, where did you enjoy playing? What position did you enjoy playing the most? Because you started off in the centres and you played a lot, well, obviously for Queensland in the centres and Melbourne, and then you sort of went to fullback. Did you have a preference at the end?

Yeah, look, I was a bit of a different, you know, I like playing fullback at club land, but when it comes to representative, I like playing in the front line and centres. Why is that, mate? Why is that? Because I just like the contact.

And plus, there's a bit more less running out four back in rep. You should have seen G.I. at the fitness sessions in the tower. They were the best. Remember that Sheens used to get us, if we come into camp, we'd have to make us do a four in five. Mate, G.I. Mate, if you'd just seen G.I. train at fitness, you'd swear this bloke couldn't play footy.

It was unbelievable. You put him on a football field, he could do anything. Gun. Gun. It was always in the back. It was always in the back. Mate, in the back. Well and truly in the back. I'll tell you who was with you. Hodjo. Justin Hodjo just trotting at the back.

Put him on the field, they could have done that. We're doing pre-season before we even go on tour. Well, G, we wanted to get you on today to congratulate you, mate. There's so many people who look up to you and idolise you as a rugby league player and you're a great fella as well. So good on you, mate. Congratulations. Thoroughly well deserved. The Rugby League Hall of Famer and congratulations on everything you achieved throughout a long and decorated career.

Thanks, boys. Enjoy. Good on you, mate. There he is, Greg Inglis. He was some hell of a player. I mean, he ignited the game, seriously. And it was around the time the game probably needed a bit of that as well. When him and then Cooper Cronk and the other, Billy Slater, those blokes, Cameron Smith, when they sort of got together, it was brilliant, wasn't it? I mean, they just, and I'm not trying to be, you know,

be critical of the boys with them, but they dragged the rest of those Melbourne boys through with them. They were brilliant. Also lucky I got to witness it firsthand. Most of my Australian games were with him as my left centre and I got front row seats to see what he could do to an opposition. So it was amazing. There's a few players in our game that can...

Yeah, do whatever they want to an opposition whenever they want, and he was one of them. So big and strong. There was a game we called years and years ago, and I can't remember what night it was. He would have been playing for Melbourne. I think he ran about 80 metres and bumped off about eight players. I can't remember what the game, who they were playing, but he was just such a brute. He was big, fast, strong, a bit scary, I reckon. Yeah. You know, played against him, but he was just a player. And well-deserved, a Rugby League Hall of Famer.