Inglis vows to get better next year

ANTHONY JOHNSON/SMH

CAN DO BETTER: Melbourne Storm and Kangaroos star Greg Inglis, the winner of rugby league's Golden Boot Award, believes his game can improve further.

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After the stellar year he has had, Greg Inglis, at just 22, could walk away from the game in the belief he has done everything.

 But he's not finished yet, not by a long shot, and after returning from Australia's successful Four Nations campaign yesterday he calmly uttered the words that should strike even more fear into his already nervous opponents.

''I think there's still a lot of improvement in my game,'' he said. ''Just little areas, you know. I'll have some good time off away from footy and then get back into it with Melbourne. I'll be aiming to work on stuff behind the scenes, put my head down and get better as next year goes on.''

Yes, better. Inglis began playing State of Origin for Queensland and Test matches for Australia when he was 19. He won his first premiership with Melbourne when he was 20. Success was already his middle name, but this year he ramped it up even more by not only winning a premiership, an Origin series and the Four Nations tournament, but being voted the Golden Boot award winner as best player in the world as well. Speaking at Sydney Airport, he had to agree his list of achievements this year had been phenomenal.

''For me, personally, this year has been the ultimate, and hopefully I can continue it throughout my career,'' he said.

Inglis was a member of the Australian team that suffered a shock loss at home to New Zealand in the World Cup final last year. Asked what was more satisfying, winning the Four Nations or being awarded the Golden Boot, he said: ''I think it's just both. We had redemption from last year, and going over there and walking away with the Four Nations championship is so surreal.

''It [the World Cup loss] was always in the back of the minds of the players who played last year, and we had new people in there as well and every single one of them wore that jersey with pride. It's very satisfying to win the Golden Boot, a good way to top off the year. Hopefully, I can stay on top and get better.''

It was suggested to Australian hooker Cameron Smith that the thought of Inglis actually getting better was frightening. Smith smiled and pointed out that he didn't have to worry about that. ''It's not frightening for me, because I play in every team he plays in,'' Smith said. ''So it's a great thing for us. But I think a lot of people forget he's only a young guy. He's 22 and he's got a lot of improvement left in him, I think, which only spells danger signs for opposition teams.''

Australian coach Tim Sheens said he would be only too happy to watch that improvement from Inglis in Test matches, but wasn't looking forward to the Storm superstar being on his game against the club side he coaches.

''I hope it's for Australia and not against Wests Tigers, put it that way,'' Sheens said. ''But, look, he's young, he's keen, he's fit, so there's every reason to say that with the more experience he gets, the better he'll be. He's certainly a handful out in the centres, he's a big man. Australia have four or five of the best players in the world in their given positions, and he's one of them, so that's a real bonus for the team.''

Inglis said it wasn't only his achievements he had to be proud of, but also being part of an Australian team that had gone through the year unbeaten and had a couple of other big-name stars reach huge milestones along the way.

''I've played in the Australian team in which Darren Lockyer broke the record for most Tests and Petero Civoniceva became the most-capped forward … I'm sure when I'm around the family during the off-season it'll hit me in the head pretty heavy.''

- © Fairfax NZ News