'Could be my last game': McInnes sticking to old school approach until the end

A tough, rugged forward who never gives an inch, McInnes looks like he was plucked straight out of the 1980s and plays like it too. 

The NRL record holder for most tackles in a match, the forward has set the standard at every club he's played for. 

After making his debut with the Rabbitohs, McInnes joined the Dragons in 2017 before his final season in the Red V was over before it even began when he tore his ACL during the 2021 pre-season. 

He then moved to the Sharks in 2022 and was tasked with bringing a hard edge to the Shire. It's no coincidence Cronulla have made the finals in every season he has spent with the club.

"He's such an inspirational leader for our team," co-captain Blayke Brailey said. "He's changed our club and the way we play, the way we prepare for games since he turned up. 

"He's done so much for our game and our team and hopefully we can send him off on the high he deserves because he's given every part of his body for the game and our team and deserves northing more than to go out on a high."

Brailey isn't joking when he said McInnes has given every part of his body to the sport. 

The 32-year-old has undergone 15 operations throughout his career. Ironically, given how much defensive work he does, McInnes' shoulders are one of the few body parts to get through his career largely unscathed.

There were fears his playing days were finished 12 months ago when he suffered a second ACL rupture. The injury brought a premature end to his 2025 campaign but McInnes returned to the field earlier this season and hasn't skipped a beat. 

"I've had some small surgeries and a few major ones," McInnes said. "I'm lucky I'm quite routine-based. That's important when you're coming out of surgery because you need to do everything right. 

"I don't enjoy being injured but I do enjoy that process. That helps me get back on the field and I've learnt that you'll never feel good out there. Some players have to feel like a Ferrari, that's not me, I don't have to feel like that."

While his playing style was plucked from a past era, McInnes has managed to adapt and thrive in the modern age of fast-paced rugby league. 

The trend towards undersized middle forwards has led to a new role for the forward, who moved from hooker to lock when he joined the Sharks. 

While many feared players such as McInnes would struggle to find a home in the modern game, the veteran believes he has been a major beneficiary of the changes.

"When I first came through I was playing hooker and someone my size wasn't going to be trusted in the middle to play big minutes," McInnes said. "The speed in the game has allowed me to play in the middle and that probably suits me better than hooker.

"The way the game's covered now, which is about entertainment, the line breaks, tries and flashy moments, that's not been the basis of my game. But if you ask any coach in the NRL, they still value that.

"It's just more what the media highlights and you look at the guys being talked about because they are having those moments in games. But games go for 80 minutes, not 30 seconds."

McInnes will move to the UK Super League next year having played more than 240 NRL games and represented his state on one occasion. 

For all he's achieved throughout his career, the closest he has come to premiership glory was as a member of the Rabbitohs squad in 2014. 

While he'd love nothing more than to hoist the Provan-Summons Trophy on October 4, McInnes has spent the past week thinking about his teammates and what Saturday night means for the club as a whole. 

"There is unfinished business but Fitzy is still going to be here, there's a lot of good young players coming through," McInnes said. 

"I can see next year the club being in the same position, or even stronger going into the finals. For guys like me, it's my last opportunity to win in the NRL and do something special, but for the club itself, there will be plenty more opportunities."

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