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Important SN update for SouthlandWhy Greg Inglis is returning to rugby league
Kieran Bingham • June 27th, 2025 3:15 pm
Greg Inglis performs the iconic Goanna celebration | Photo: Photosport
Greg Inglis has done just about everything there is to do in rugby league. A premiership winner, Origin hero and Test superstar, the man known as 'GI' is now carving out a new legacy, this time, on the sideline with the Wests Tigers NRLW team.
The rugby league legend has taken on an assistant coaching role with the Tigers for the 2025 season, bringing his deep knowledge of the game to a new generation of players.
But for Inglis, it’s more than just tactics and training sessions - it’s personal.
His passion for the women’s game was sparked long before women’s rugby league became the powerhouse it is today.
“I started off when I was younger. My sister was playing all the way through juniors and my older cousins played in the female space. I’ve been to Indigenous Koori Knockouts here in Australia, and the women’s game has well and truly been alive in our blood. It’s something I’ve always been interested in,” Inglis told Sport Nation’s Six Again podcast.
Why don't they play 40min halves in NRLW? | The Six Again Podcast
He’s long been a supporter of the Jillaroos and women's representative rugby league, but stepping into an official coaching role still came as a surprise - even to him.
“I didn’t think I’d get back into it, but I’ve found my feet again and I’m loving this space. I love passing on my knowledge to the next up-and-coming superstars in the NRLW.”
Initially, Inglis admits he was hesitant to jump into the coaching hot seat.
“I didn’t really want to, because when things don’t go the team’s way, the finger usually gets pointed at the coaches. But the opportunity came up and I just wanted to give back. I’ve found my passion doing this and I’ve found a purpose through the Goanna Academy. Hopefully, I can help change the women’s space.”
At the Tigers, Inglis has become more than a coach, he’s a big brother figure.
“I go there, I crack jokes, and once we break that barrier of seeing me as ‘GI’ or Greg Inglis who’s done all these things in the game, it becomes real. They hang crap on me sometimes, which is good. I love that bit of banter - it makes a high-pressure environment feel relaxed.”
That banter even includes regular calls to revive the famous 'Goanna' try celebration.
“If I end up doing it, I’ll probably stay down there for another five minutes. They give me crap in warmups about it, but I think the old body and hips just couldn’t handle it anymore,” he laughed.
GI now prefers to celebrate from a standing position... | Photo: Simon Wilkinson
Jokes aside, Inglis is deeply focused on supporting the players and understands the unique challenges women in the game still face, especially while juggling semi-professional contracts and full-time jobs.
“Hopefully within two or three years, we’ll see the girls as full-time professional players at professional clubs. In the meantime, we work with what we’ve got. It’s about communication, understanding their personal schedules, and making sure we’re not overloading them.”
His Tigers side are still green, but the signs are promising.
“We’re a young side, but we’re also hungry. We’ve got a strong bond off the field and they look fitter and hungrier this year. What I love is that they want to learn and improve, that says a lot.”
The Tigers open their season against the Broncos and for Inglis, the biggest threat might not even be on the field. His daughter, a big fan of Broncos captain Ali Brigginshaw, has already picked a side.
“She said to me, ‘I’m not coming to watch you, I’m going for Ali.’ So I might not even have her support,” Inglis said with a grin.
Brigginshaw will be pulling the strings again this year, with Gayle Broughton outside her. Broughton, who Greg believes “the Warriors will pick up next year,” is already making a big impact off the field.
Gayle Broughton | Photo: Photosport
Inglis knows that firsthand, having worked alongside her at the Goanna Academy, his mentoring initiative that supports at-risk youth.
“I was very impressed by how she interacts with our cohort. They’re at a really difficult point in their lives and she knows how to have tough conversations and share her own experience. Having her working alongside me is a blessing.”
From the sideline to the academy, Greg Inglis is using his platform to lift up the women’s game - and it’s clear he’s just getting started.
Listen to Six Again below:
