NRL legend Greg Inglis has revealed why he turned down potential interest from NFL heavyweights the New York Giants and Houston Texans before signing with South Sydney.
Speaking on Triple M’s Footy Talk podcast with former Blues Origin rival Aaron Woods, Inglis revealed he’d also held discussions with then Essendon Bombers coach James Hird about a switch to the AFL.
The conversations supposedly occurred in the wake of the Melbourne Storm salary cap scandal that saw the club stripped of its 2007 and 2009 premierships.
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Greg Inglis in action for the Queensland Maroons. Getty
Despite the temptation of massive contracts, Inglis admitted he was never really interested in heading stateside.
“I think they wanted me in there as a running back or a wide receiver,” he said.
“American sport doesn’t interest me. I can’t gravitate to it. I was like … ‘I couldn’t be bothered’. You’ve gotta be really into it and I wasn’t.
“I wouldn’t have a clue (about the rules) … stuff that”.
Inglis made 117 appearances for the Storm before he was squeezed out at the end of 2010 after news of the club’s salary breach broke.
Greg Inglis AAP
He said a preference to remain in Melbourne led to discussions with Hird.
“I almost stayed in Melbourne because I loved the culture so much, I almost signed with Essendon,” he said.
“James Hird was the coach at the time, I went in there (and he asked), ‘How much do you weigh?’
“It was the first time I’d got to 105-106kg … he said, ‘Alright, we’ll trim you down to 85kg’. I was like, ‘Mate, too much running’.”
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Having initially verbally agreed to join the Broncos for the 2011 season, Inglis eventually signed with the Rabbitohs.
He went on to spend the next nine seasons in Redfern — winning the 2014 premiership with the club.
Inglis confessed that he hung up during two calls from co-owner Russell Crowe because the actor rang from a private number and he thought someone was putting on a fake voice.