NRL: Alcott Don't call Inglis lazy'

But Greg Inglis could still play in Origin II. Photo / Getty Images

A hip injury to star back Greg Inglis - aggravated against the Kiwis in the Anzac test - will require specialised treatment for the rest of his playing days to safeguard the Maroons' flyer from a premature end to his NRL career.

The development comes as South Sydney high-performance manager Errol Alcott scuppered suggestions Inglis is a lazy trainer and overweight, revealing he has lost 7kg in five months.

Inglis entered Camp Maroon on Tuesday under an injury cloud for Origin II, with the Rabbitohs centre having been sent for scans after hurting his knee in his comeback from injury against Melbourne last Sunday.

Having lightened his training load, the Maroons expect Inglis to play on Wednesday night, but the wider concern is how the 24-year-old manages an ongoing hip problem that required off-season surgery.

The Rabbitohs have prescribed anti-flammatory medication in recent weeks to help settle the area. Alcott is confident Inglis, who aggravated his hip injury in last month's Anzac test, will not require further surgery, but the Queensland Origin ace faces a long-term injury management plan.

"The fact is Greg has a problem in his hip and it's never really going to go away," said Alcott, the former Australian cricket team physiotherapist. "It's something Greg will have to manage for the rest of his career.

"There are a lot of players running around younger than him with joint damage but we don't want it to flare up. There may be occasions when the hip flares up on him but hopefully it's the exception rather than the rule.

"Most players who have played at the level he has, and the number of games he's already played, need to manage their bodies. It's really a part of the sport. It's unfortunate for Greg, but it [his hip injury] is what it is and it has to be managed."

Alcott said the Rabbitohs were doing everything possible to keep Inglis healthy. The test flyer is on a modified training program designed to limit potential damage.

"At Souths, we regularly review how Greg is feeling," Alcott said. "We do a lot of recovery and regeneration techniques. We certainly don't run him into the ground with training.

"We are selective and very specific with his workload. We make sure that his hip area enjoys freedom of movement, we make sure he is not affected in a way that might upset the area.

"I don't know what the Maroons are doing in camp as far as physical activity goes, but from when he left us I'd be confident of Greg playing [in Origin II]."

As one of Australia's most respected high-performance gurus, Alcott said he took offence at claims Inglis' weight had ballooned on his watch.

"I can set the record straight because I've weighed Greg and taken his skinfolds every week and he has never been 120kg, that's just pure fabrication," Alcott said. "The truth is Greg came to Souths at around 113kg, and he's now down to 106kg.

"I still think he might need a bit of extra work but he's certainly on his way."