Premiership rivals beware – Inglis is back and he's as fit as ever
The word around Redfern the past month has been how impeccably fit Greg Inglis has looked.
And the rest of the rugby league world will find out on Saturday afternoon when the South Sydney pin-up takes his place against Canberra in a bid to reignite the club's minor-premiership charge.
Coach Anthony Seibold has the luxury of playing his trump card on the eve of the finals as one of the game's genuine X-factors starts at left centre against the Raiders after a seven-week layoff with a broken thumb.
Alex Johnston and Campbell Graham will also return from hamstring and wrist injuries respectively.
Seibold, who welcomed Inglis into the coach's box on game days as he recovered, did his best to contain the hype around his superstar's comeback.
"We're not expecting Greg to win the game by himself, we just want him to do his job,'' Seibold told Fairfax Media.
"With Greg being back, he brings a lot of leadership and just that presence on the left edge.
"He was in really good form before he was injured. He was disappointed to miss out on that third game for Queensland and a chunk of games for us, but he's in very good shape.
"The time also allowed him to get a coach's perspective and he spent time in the coach's box with us.
"He's been able to mentor some of the younger players at the club, and by being [in the coach's box] it gave him a different perspective on the game. When you're sitting from afar, you can get a different point of view on the game. He understands our game model implicitly.''
Inglis was originally slated for a return last weekend against the Broncos, but his surgeon wanted the extra nine-day turnaround so his thumb had extra time to heal.
Teammates have been in awe of Inglis' physical condition as he worked overtime on his giant frame while in recovery.
Seibold said Souths' lofty position on the ladder made it easier to not rush back Inglis early.
Depending on what happens later on Saturday with the Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters, a win for Souths could see them reclaim top spot with one round remaining.
More importantly for Inglis, ''he's in a great spot mentally'', said Seibold, who has made a point of putting the 31-year-old's wellbeing before anything else since the pre-season.
Inglis was always going to need time to bounce back from a ruptured ACL, which ruled him out of last season.
He gradually returned to peak fitness before he exploded to life in game one of Origin as he went on a mission for Queensland, pole-axing several Blues, especially Tom Trbojevic.
While Johnston returns from a hamstring injury, Seibold said there was no temptation to shift Inglis to fullback during the Raiders game.
Souths knocked over Melbourne, narrowly lost to the Roosters and then ran out of steam against the Broncos.
Seibold maintains they did well against their bitter rivals, especially when Johnston exited in the first minute and four other starting outside backs were out of play. The final 20 minutes against Brisbane was the only passage of play to disappoint Seibold.
"There were lessons learned by our players, in particular the younger players about how tough this competition is,'' said Seibold, after Souths conceded 20 points in as many minutes at Suncorp Stadium.
"You need that energy and focus and effort every game.
"We've been consistent for a long time, we've taken a lot of confidence out of the last block of games, we just couldn't finish it off against the Broncos.''
The Raiders were tough against the Roosters, but face the challenge of maintaining that intensity against another premiership heavyweight and on a six-day turnaround.
Graham had his best game in the NRL to date against the Storm, only to succumb to a wrist injury.