Wigan's Bryan Fletcher has turned down the chance to rejoin Sydney and announced his retirement.
Play-off exit brings the curtain down on career of Wigan forward
Wigan forward Bryan Fletcher has turned down the chance to rejoin former club Sydney and announced his retirement.
The 33-year-old former Australia international is hanging up his boots after the Warriors' season came to an end with a 36-6 play-off defeat at Leeds on Friday night.
Although he was offered the chance to return Down Under to play under Brad (Freddie) Fittler at the Roosters, Fletcher has decided he cannot play on.
Hard
"Unfortunately that's it," he said. "My decision was made a month ago. I've spoken to Freddie about it.
"I knew at the back of my mind it was going to be too hard to play on. I couldn't have done the training. I wouldn't want to do that to Freddie."
Fletcher's Wigan career did not get off to a great start when he was forced to undergo emergency bowel surgery before playing a game.
However, he has since missed only two of the last 53 matches in the last two years and wishes he had joined "probably the biggest club in the world" earlier in his career.
No regrets
"I've no regrets at all," he said. "In fact I wish I had done it earlier.
"I've thoroughly enjoyed it and my family have enjoyed it. Wigan have been great, they've looked after us.
"I suppose in five or 10 years I can look back and say I got to play for Wigan. They are probably the biggest rugby league club in the world."
Fletcher, who won the World Cup with the Kangaroos in 2000, will not be the only player departing Wigan in the off-season.
Shane Millard is also expected to retire after battling a painful knee injury through the play-offs, while centre David Vaeliki is switching codes to join a club in France.