Greg Inglis believes he deserves to retain the Australian rugby league team captaincy despite being charged with drink driving and speeding just hours after his appointment.

An apologetic Inglis fronted the media on Tuesday afternoon, having earlier spoken with coach Mal Meninga, but he did not stand down from his new post as many expected.

Instead he left any decision on the Kangaroos captaincy and whether he stays in the national team for this month’s Tests against New Zealand and Tonga, in the hands of the NRL.

Inglis will leave Sydney for the remainder of the week following the incident, but it’s understood an announcement on his immediate Kangaroos future could come as soon as Tuesday afternoon.

“With the Australian captaincy we’ll just wait and see with the NRL,” Inglis said.

“It’s out of my hands now but it’s something I would really love to still be the Australian captain.

“Obviously we have standards there. I was in the meetings when we addressed those standards in the group a couple of years ago.

“It’s disappointing from my end.”

Only handed the national captaincy on Monday morning, Inglis allegedly returned a positive blood alcohol test with a mid-range reading of 0.085 when pulled over for speeding by police at Lithgow that afternoon.

Asked if he deserved to retain the role, Inglis said: “Me personally I feel like I do.

“It’s entirely up to them. It’s out of my control now. I know I still have the full support of the playing group and everyone else.

“Through my playing career I’ve been playing for 13 years and I’ve never had a criminal charge laid against me.”

Inglis had also spoken with Queensland Origin coach Kevin Walters on Tuesday, but was at least told by the Rabbitohs his job as South Sydney skipper was safe.

The 31-year-old was driving home from the Koori Knockout tournament in Dubbo when he was stopped around 2pm after, he said, he’d returned to his hotel room at about 1am that morning.

“I thought I would be right to drive and I didn’t leave Gulgong until about 12 the next day. Got pulled over and that was it from there,” he said.

“This has got nothing to do with my mental health and everything to do with me making a silly mistake.

“I’m sincerely apologetic.

“I know where I stand in the game as a role model to the community and what I have been charged with is unacceptable on my behalf.”

Inglis is due to face court next month, however it’s understood the fact he has accepted he erred means the NRL and Kangaroos management won’t need to wait until after a court hearing to act.

It comes after Canberra forward Josh Papaliii missed a Kangaroos Test last year for a higher-range drink driving offence.

Earlier on Tuesday Australian team selector Laurie Daley said Inglis should be stood down from the captaincy.

“It has to change things,” Daley said on the Big Sports Breakfast.

“Greg’s been a terrific leader for South Sydney and Queensland but I don’t think you can have the Australian captain going DUI.”