Wednesday 27 May 2020 16:16, UK
Australia, Queensland and NRL legend Greg Inglis chats exclusively to Sky Sports about his decision to come out of retirement and join Warrington.
Having retired from rugby league in April 2019, forfeiting the final 18 months of his contract with NRL side South Sydney, nobody would have expected Inglis to don a jersey for the 2021 Super League campaign.
Yet last week it was announced the 33-year-old had reversed retirement to sign a one-year contract with Warrington in a hugely surprising move and a considerable coup for the Wolves.
So how did the move come about?
"It's something that's been going on in the background for about six weeks now," Inglis told Sky Sports Rugby League's Brian Carney.
"And it just came from a conversation with my good old mate over there Jason Clark. I'm excited to get over there and into Super League, and I'm just looking forward to getting back into footy.
"I wasn't in the right frame of mind when I actually did retire, that's publicly known and I'm not afraid to talk about it."
It was a little over a year ago that Inglis took the sport of rugby league by surprise by calling it quits.
The outside-back is said to have lost his passion for playing at the time, with niggly shoulder and knee injuries also a frustration and contributing factor towards his retirement.
Inglis was never medically retired due to injury, however, paving the way for his decision to return. Even still, what changed?
"It's just being around the boys," he said. "I got the itch back when I was development coaching and helping out with U16s pathways, U18s, U20s, Canterbury Cup reserve grade and with the first grade too.
"That's when I started getting it back. This is what I know, this is what I'm passionate about, and going back and helping, I just thought in the back of my mind: I can go for another year.
"When this virus hit, it just gave me time to sit back and have conversations, which then started happening.
"I've said from day one I want to go there [Warrington], I'm not over there on holidays, I'm over there for business and I want to add value to that Warrington team."
During the course of his stellar career, Inglis has played in 39 Tests for Australia, 32 State of Origins for Queensland and some 263 NRL matches for Melbourne Storm and South Sydney.
He's never lined up in Super League to date, so what can fans up here expect from him?
"When I play the game, I'll be playing it the best way I can. I'll be giving it everything that I can," Inglis says.
"I want to add value and my wisdom to the team. I want to bring my knowledge to the team, the squad and the club itself.
"I said to Karl [Fitzpatrick, Warrington CEO] and Steve Price [Warrington head coach], I'm not over on holidays, if I'm in, I'm 100 per cent in.
"It's definitely not going to be easy. It's always been said that there's a big difference between NRL and Super League, but the people who say that haven't been over there to play it.
"There's more games, it's different conditions, and I'm looking forward to another challenge and that's in my DNA.
"I like to challenge myself and to challenge the people around me.
"Look, there's no doubt I'm looking forward to getting over there, to playing in Super League and especially for Warrington.
"It's a whole new chapter for myself, and I get to come out of retirement one more time."
