Greg Inglis 'struggling' in sad turn of events since shock retirement

The NRL is assisting Greg Inglis following the revelation he is ‘struggling’ since hanging up the boots last month.

Inglis, 32, played just two games this season before being forced into retirement by persistent injuries.

He took up a multi-faceted role with South Sydney, helping the team as an assistant coach as well as working with the club’s commercial division and charity arm Souths Cares.

But missing out on the weekly grind of an NRL season alongside his teammates has reportedly hit Inglis hard.

In an interview with NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg, Channel Nine’s Danny Weidler said Inglis is ‘struggling with his life post-football’.

“I am aware of some of issues he's facing,” Greenberg responded.

“Yes, we're across it and yes, we're in contact with both him and the club.

“It will be a journey for Greg. But he's got a lot of support.

“He's got a lot of people around him, including all of us at the NRL.”

The NRL last week handed down its findings into the salary cap implications of Inglis’s retirement.

The Rabbitohs will have approximately $1 million spare in their salary cap over the next 18 months – an estimated $300,000 this year and $700,000 next year.

The NRL ruled that the money Inglis earned from his playing contract between the start of the year and his retirement on April 15 will be included in this year's cap, along with the salary he draws as part of the front office job he has taken up with the club.

But none of his playing contract or new employment contract will be included in the club's 2020 salary cap.

Rival clubs were closely scrutinising the NRL's decision after Inglis walked away from the game with 18 months remaining on his deal.

The NRL put the decision to the other 15 clubs at a meeting of the game's chief executives last week and they say it was not met with any objections.

After hanging up his boots because of a mounting toll on his body, Inglis said he would forego the $1.5 million owed to him in his playing contract.

The NRL considered three other outcomes before handing down its decision, starting with including the outstanding amount from his contract in the cap.

They also weighed up including the money earned from his employment contract in the cap and excluding all of the money earned by Inglis or owed to him.

The NRL argued their decision was fair and reasonable.

"We are comfortable that Greg genuinely had had enough," said NRL chief operating officer Nick Weeks.

"If you accept that that's right, and we do, we think it's a good thing for him to remain involved in the club and in the game."

with AAP