Sharks legend Andrew Fifita has chosen to retire amid seven required surgeries despite interest from the Bulldogs and Manly after he was let go by Cronulla.
The Daily Telegraph reported Fifita made the heartbreaking decision to retire from rugby league, despite being in talks with Canterbury and the Sea Eagles to continue his career in 2023.
The 33-year-old scored 40 tries in 251 NRL games for the Tigers and Sharks winning a premiership in 2016 and playing 10 Origins for NSW and 17 Tests for Tonga and the Kangaroos in a glittering rugby league career.
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Fifita was regarded as the best player in the 2016 decider, with his brilliant solo try helping lead Cronulla to their first ever premiership and he is regarded as one of the best players the club has ever produced.
His decision to defect from the Kangaroos to his native Tonga also ignited the international game and caused a wave of players to follow suit and represent their countries of Origin.
Fifita will go down as one of the toughest players to play rugby league after making a brave return from a horror lung injury that saw him placed in a coma in 2021.
Fifita was keen to play on and offer leadership to a young forward pack and had Manly and the Bulldogs in his sights.
However, his medical when departing the Sharks suggested he needed seven operations to correct injuries, which forced Fifita to retire.
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“I had spoken to (Manly’s) Dessie (Hasler) and (Canterbury’s) Cameron (Ciraldo) about helping them with some leadership in their pack next year,’’ Fifita told The Daily Telegraph.
“I was keen to help Cam in his first year to help get the team gelling in year one.
“And the same with Manly, they’ve got a stack of strong youth coming through, but they need a senior figure.
“What killed me was the medicals. When you’re leaving a club you have an exit medical which analyses your body. The doc sat me down and ran me through it all.’’
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Fifita revealed in August that 2022 would be his last season for his beloved Sharks, but pledged to play on after his best season for Cronulla since 2018.
However, a meeting with Sharks doctor George Pitsis convinced Fifita that the time was right to hang up the boots.
“The MRI scans showed that I could keep playing, but I would need to push through a fair few things that my body needs work on,’’ Fifita said.“I need osteotomy surgery on my left knee, that’s when they actually cut the bone and add tissue to realign your bones.
“I need my left ankle surgically straightened, I need a right shoulder reconstruction, my nose bone is collapsing, so I need a nose reconstruction.“I need my middle finger fused, a right elbow arthroscopy and I’ve lost all my back teeth, so I need dental surgery and teeth implants.’’
