NRL: Warrior king steps down

Warriors linchpin Steve Price, who has been at the forefront of the club for a third of its history, announces his retirement from the game at the end of the season. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Steve Price wears two rubber bands on his right wrist. The green one is a declaration he is a drug-free athlete.

The other is a statement of intent about how he plans to end a career remarkable for its quality and longevity: "Finish Strong", it states in a stark white on black typeface.

Price slipped it on a couple of weeks ago, once he made up his mind that this season, his 17th in the NRL, would be his last.

"It is something that you think about a lot but if it is there present on your wrist then you'll do it," Price said.

"So it is a thing for me to keep on pushing myself. But I've got to actually start first."

The qualification is a reference to the heel injury that has kept him from playing at all this season.

The vacuum created by his absence both from the field and the public arena has largely been filled by theories of his discontent at being dumped as captain.

Yesterday Price was at pains to dispel such notions.

"It is all about how I felt. There are a lot of pieces in the puzzle to make a decision but [the captaincy] certainly wasn't a big bearer at all."

His announcement was confirmation his mind had accepted a decision his body had made some time ago.

Given his extended absence, it will have little effect on a side that has made an encouraging but not yet convincing 2-2 start to the season.

If he can win an injury battle that has no end in sight, the 36-year-old, 313-game veteran may yet prove of value to the team in his swansong year.

The most pressing question, though, is how the club will plug a void created by the departure of a player who has been its figurehead for a third of its history.

"It is a big hole to fill and you can't directly fill it, put it that way," coach Ivan Cleary said.

Price warned that salary cuts he had taken in recent years meant there would be no pot of freed-up salary cap gold to splash on a new superstar.

Attempting to re-sign his brother-in-law, fellow Queensland and Kangaroos star Brent Tate, was now the number one priority, chief executive Wayne Scurrah said. "It is fair to say things are warming up on a few fronts.

"Obviously Brent Tate is a big player off contract and we have signalled we would like to keep him. What will be will be, but certainly he is the type of leader we want."

What is sure to be the first of many farewells for Price will take place on Saturday when the Warriors play his former club, Canterbury Bulldogs.

Season ticket holders from other clubs will be granted free entry, but Price's injury means he will accept their admiration as a spectator.

If he is to meet his goal of finishing strong before switching to a likely career in sports management or broadcasting, that is a situation he needs to remedy as soon as possible.

"I am working as hard as I can to get back as quick as I can," he said. "I've just got to keep plugging away and do everything I possibly can to get there and be part of the team."

STEVE PRICE

Age: 36

Birthplace: Dalby, Queensland

Position: Prop

Height: 193cm

Weight: 107kg

Junior Club: Newtown Lions (Toowoomba)

Debut: Bulldogs v Balmain, July 3, 1994

Career: 313 appearances (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs: 222, Warriors 91)

Points: 140 - 35 tries (Bulldogs: 22 tries, Warriors: 13)
Representative: 15 tests for Australia, 1998-2009

* 28 matches for Queensland, 1998-2009

* Prime Minister's XIII, 2005-2006

* All Golds, 2007