‘Took away part of my soul’: Ex-NRL star opens up on ‘insidious’ drug addiction

Former rugby league star Chris Caruana has opened up on how his life unravelled after he retired from football and got addicted to ice, leaving him on the brink of suicide.

Caruana played 10 seasons in first grade between 1992 and 2002, starring for both the North Sydney Bears and South Sydney Rabbitohs, the latter both before and after the club was kicked out of and then reinstated to the NRL.

Caruana, who signed for the Rabbitohs on a $1.2 million three-year deal at the height of his career, also appeared in the Simply the Best ad featuring Tina Turner in 1993.

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Round 1

Chris Caruana was a footy star.Source: News Corp Australia

Post-career struggles saw the once rugby league pin-up struggle with an ice addiction and homelessness, as well as twice attempting to end his own life.

Speaking on Nine’s Today, Caruana revealed he is now nearly three years clean and sober and going through the process of turning his life around.

“My family was the catalyst — and I couldn’t do it anymore, I was sick and tired of using narcotics,” Caruana said.

“But my family, especially my mother, my sisters and, more importantly, my children, who have been my rock, Erinn and Kyle.

“That was the catalyst. I had to stop for myself really, because if I didn’t stop using, I can’t give any love and support out there to the people that love me.

“That was it, I just decided to give it away cold turkey and I’m clean today.”

Caruana is 33 months clean and sober. Picture: Sam RuttynSource: News Corp Australia

Caruana revealed the depths of his addiction took him to an extremely dark place.

”I dealt with it with narcotics,” he said bluntly.