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Home / Sport / League / Warriors

Rugby league: Warriors centre Blake Ayshford set to retire at end of NRL season

Christopher Reive
By Christopher Reive
Senior Sports Journalist·NZ Herald·
2 Aug, 2019 04:20 AM2 mins to read

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Can the Warriors bounce back after some officiating shockers last week to overcome the Canberra Raiders?

After a decade, Australian Warriors centre Blake Ayshford is ready to call time on his NRL career.

With more than 171 games in first-grade to his name, the 31-year-old will be content to hang up his boots at the end of the 2019 season.

Ayshford casually slipped the news into a conversation with Radio Sport's D'Arcy Waldegrave, and said he had no qualms with leaving the competition behind him.

"I'm happy, mate," Ayshford said. "I'm happy with what I've achieved in the NRL, I'm happy in New Zealand - I don't really want to leave so I don't think I'll be playing for another NRL club so I'll probably just hang 'em up at the end of the year.

"I won't be playing in the NRL next year."

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Ayshford did leave the door open for a potential move overseas, admitting he was yet to make a decision on whether or not he had closed the door on his entire rugby league career.

Blake Ayshford is calling time on his NRL career. Photo / Photosport
Blake Ayshford is calling time on his NRL career. Photo / Photosport

Spending the majority of his time in playing in reserve grade in the past two seasons, Ayshford has found his way back into first grade as a result of injuries to other members of the squad.

However, with the likes of David Fusitu'a and Patrick Herbert due back in the coming weeks, Ayshford has no certainty over when his last game in the NRL will be.

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"Every game now could be my last," he said.

"I'm in a good place. I've been in a good place for a while now. At the start of last year I wasn't sure if I'd come back to footy because of my back. I didn't know how that was going to go.

"I'm happy in what I've done and I'm happy knowing that every time I run out there, especially at Mt Smart, it could be my last."

After beginning his career with Wests Tigers in 2009, Ayshford joined the Cronulla Sharks for two seasons in 2014, before joining the Warriors in 2016.

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