Justin Hodges has expressed relief at good mate Greg Inglis booking himself into a mental health facility after encouraging the fellow Queensland great to seek help.
Hodges was one of the last people in contact with the ex-Maroons skipper before he sought treatment in Sydney, admitting he was concerned when he saw the retired NRL star during Magic Round.
Inglis had travelled from Sydney to Brisbane for the historic round at Suncorp Stadium but the former barnstorming centre reportedly went missing for three days while drinking.
Hodges tracked Inglis down in Brisbane and urged him to seek help for his family's sake.
"He is someone you love and someone you are so close to ... you could see the hurt in his eyes and he was struggling," Hodges said.
"It's hard when you are going through that stage. You don't really know what it is and he couldn't understand what was happening to him at the time.
"I'm just glad he's in rehab and he can get his life together. He's got two beautiful young kids at home that really need their father and that's the most important thing."
Coach Kevin Walters said on Monday Queensland would play for Inglis in the 2019 State of Origin series after it was revealed the troubled ex-skipper had checked into the mental health facility.
Inglis - the 32-year-old ex-Origin and Test superstar - played only two games this season before being forced into retirement by persistent injuries and has struggled since.
"He's doing it very tough. Everything hit him at once, his marriage break-up and then his retirement came quickly, quicker than what he expected. It's a lot of things," Hodges said of Inglis' plight.
"He suffers from mental health (concerns). It's just dealing with those issues properly.
"I'm just glad we got him into a rehab at the right time. You don't know what could have happened if he was out drinking and all that type of stuff."
But Hodges - in his first year as a Maroons assistant - is backing Inglis to make a full recovery.
"He's got some lovely people around him that care for him and want to see him happy and able to enjoy life," he said.
"I'm keeping in touch with his mum and dad and making sure he comes out on the right side."
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