Inglis hopes history repeats
There are few more fearsome sights on a football field than Greg Inglis in full flight.
But Inglis admitted he was the one who was scared the last time he cut open a defensive line.
The Souths centre revealed on Tuesday that his confidence had been so low that he was wracked by doubt even when he finally broke clear against Cronulla last Friday night.
Running off a clever David Taylor off-load, Inglis steamed downfield before setting up Souths winger James Roberts to score as the Rabbitohs came back from 12-0 down to win 31-12.
"I was a bit scared, I really wasn't quite sure how I would go," Inglis said on Tuesday of his run.
"I haven't been in the clear for about five months.
"It felt good though.
"After the game I got texts from everyone saying 'it's good to see you back in the clear' and all that stuff."
While appreciative of the support, Inglis got the biggest shot in the arm when the Australian team for Friday night's trans-Tasman Test against New Zealand was announced.
The first to admit he has struggled since his switch from Melbourne to Souths, Inglis was relieved to hear his name called by Test selectors for the Skilled Park clash.
"I always have doubts about myself," said Inglis.
"I think Hodgo (Test centre partner Justin Hodges) came out last week saying Mark Gasnier and Willie Tonga have been playing unreal and they deserve to be in the (Test) side.
"I haven't been performing to my best so this is a great privilege.
"I am just happy that the selectors showed great faith in me that I could do the job."
The knives came out for Inglis when he returned from off-season hip and shoulder surgery and failed to live up to the considerable hype early for Souths.
He copped the most flak after being towelled up in round two by Canterbury's Jamal Idris - a Test teammate this week.
But Inglis said he had no regrets about his Souths move and hoped history would repeat itself on Friday night.
Inglis traditionally uses the mid-year Test as a springboard for a stellar season - a trend not lost on the powerhouse.
"It's funny because my mum and dad just said that to me the other day," he said.
"Everyone says rep season is the time I perform but I have been trying to do my best since the start.
"It's a bit hard to take on board that I just play for the big games, when I really should be performing for Souths."
Any doubts over his hunger for Friday night's clash evaporated when asked what he savoured most - the Test or Queensland jersey.
"It's always Australia," said Inglis, who has played 16 Tests and 13 Origins.
"Every kid wants to play for Australia."
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