Greg Inglis

The Maroons legend said the time is right to call it quits while denying speculation his retirement is linked to mental health or injury issues.

Inglis said he told teammates about his plans to hang up the boots on Saturday after their win over the Warriors on the Sunshine Coast. He made the call after heading home and speaking to family about the decision to retire from the game that made him a household name within Australia's sporting landscape.

Inglis made the announcement via a video sent out to Rabbitohs club members.

"[It's] a decision I've made purely on my own, and something I've been thinking about in the last two-and-a-half months. At the end of 2020, I'll be hanging up the boots,

"I'll be giving away the game, but staying around this club hopefully for a long time after I retire," he said.

"For the next two years, I'll be giving everything I can to this great club. 2019 will be my last representative season, therefore next year, I'll be solely concentrating on the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Inglis was stripped of the Australian captaincy on Tuesday after he was charged the previous day with drink-driving and speeding offences.

Meninga said Inglis was "bitterly disappointed in himself more so than anything else".

"He stuffed up. He has made a poor error of judgement and he has paid the price for it," he said.

"I want to see Greg have a strong off-season and start the season well for the Rabbitohs. He will lead Queensland again next year."

The South Sydney star was reportedly driving along the Great Western Highway in a black Mercedes when police say he was pulled over on Monday afternoon.

Fox Sports said he was clocked speeding by stationary highway patrol officers.

Police then performed a roadside blood alcohol breath test on the driver, which allegedly returned a positive result.

Inglis was then taken to Lithgow Police Station where he underwent a breath analysis, which allegedly returned a reading of 0.085.

Inglis and Cronk played in four grand finals together at Melbourne Storm, won two of them (2007, 2009), and played in the halves together in two of those matches.

On Saturday night, each will be trying to keep the other out of next Sunday's Telstra Premiership grand final.

The preliminary final between the Rabbitohs and Roosters has many storylines. The friendship formed between 31-year-old Inglis and 34-year-old Cronk in Storm, Queensland and Australian sides, is one line that extends the longest and deepest.

Smith has redefined the role of an Origin or Test captain since taking over the position for Queensland and Australia after Darren Lockyer’s retirement in 2011 and Maroons coach Kevin Walters admitted the state had “lost our captain and our leader.”

While no decision has yet been made on who will captain the Maroons in this year’s series, Inglis is the obvious choice and he is already considered a great indigenous leader and role model.

Last week, two fans were given indefinite bans from attending matches by the NRL, after directing abuse at South Sydney star at the end of his team's round-two loss to the Panthers.

Inglis said he was now fine with the matter, but still didn't want to talk publicly about the incident, which he had reported immediately to South Sydney management.

"I'll speak about it when I'm ready," Inglis said on Tuesday. "It's just a very touchy subject - I'll speak when I'm ready to speak about it."

Inglis left the field to undertake a head injury assessment during the Rabbitohs' 18-14 loss at Penrith Stadium.

He was booed as he made his way to the bench, with one fan allegedly calling him a 'black dog'.

The Panthers yesterday issued an apology to Inglis for the behaviour, and are now investigating the incident alongside the NRL Integrity Unit.

An angry Meninga labelled the act 'disgusting' and said the person responsible should be banned for life.

"I thought racial vilification was gone out of our game, it obviously hasn't," he said.

The NRL and Penrith Panthers are confident of identifying the culprit from CCTV footage as he was seated in a prominent position near the Panthers Stadium tunnel, with Inglis allegedly abused as he came from the field after full-time on Saturday night.

Greenberg commended the Panthers, who have made an unreserved apology, for "working around the clock" to identify the crowd member.

Inglis ruptured his ACL in the Round 1 loss to the Wests Tigers, and despite bravely playing on to score a try he was eventually taken from the field with scans revealing he would miss the rest of the 2017 campaign.