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Australian Test halfback Andrew Johns indicated on Tuesday he could retire from rugby league when his current contract with Newcastle expired. Johns, 27, has three years remaining on his contract with the Knights and said he would consider his options after the 2004 National Rugby League season. "I don't know if my body will be able to keep going after that so it might be a good time to call it quits," Johns said on his official website, answering a question as to how much longer he intended playing. "Although mentally I'll probably be keen to play on, I really don't want to play for one season too long - I'll be listening to my body on that one." Johns' manager John Fordham said his client would not make a decision on retirement or his playing future for another three years. "If Andrew decides to retire at the end of the 2004 season he will be 30 at the time, an age when many top footballers actually retire," Fordham said. "If he decides to continue playing - and he will only do this if he is still enjoying playing and if his health/fitness is in top order - he will have various options available to him including continuing to play rugby league in Australia or overseas or possibly playing rugby union." The Knights skipper, who returns from a two-match suspension to face North Queensland on Saturday, believes his team will finish the regular season in the coveted second place. "It's been a disappointing last two games for the Knights, but we can still finish the season in the top two," he said. "We turned around our bad patch earlier this season with a big win against Brisbane and we have a great chance to get back on track against the Cowboys this Saturday night. "I can't wait to get out on the park again!" Minor premier Parramatta and the second-place finisher after the regular season are guaranteed a second life in the playoffs should they lose their qualifying final. But despite Johns' optimism, it's unlikely Newcastle will secure the No.2 spot. To do so, the Knights must win their final two games against the bottom of the table Cowboys and Penrith, while the Sharks must beat the Bulldogs at Sydney Showground on Friday night. In the final round, the Bulldogs must lose to St George Illawarra and Wests Tigers must defeat the Sharks. Even then, it would come down to for and against percentages if Newcastle was to grab the No.2 position from the Bulldogs. Meanwhile, Johns explained how he received his nickname Joey. "I actually got the nickname from my dad when I was a kid," he said. "I just don't think he wanted to call me Andrew, which annoyed my mum a bit. "The name stuck really quickly and everyone's called me Joey since."
